Jamal Murray drops 55 as Nuggets stay red-hot going to break

Jamal Murray’s season started like a lamb, but it’s roaring like a lion as the Denver Nuggets hit the All-Star break. On Wednesday the Blue Arrow notched a career-high 55 points in the Nuggets season-best eighth-straight win, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 132-121.

Murray’s roar back when some were ready to slaughter him has been impressive but completely expected for those in the know. And it’s his level-up that’s helped power the Nuggets to a 25-9 stretch since early December, moving them to the doorstep of second in the West. All the while, Denver enters the break with an identical 36-19 record to last season, when they won a franchise-best 57 games.

Murray’s offseason started when he and his teammates fell apart in a Game 7 at home in the second round last season, blowing a 20-point lead as just about everyone looked exhausted. The sore start to his break continued into the summer when Murray struggled with injuries and poor play while playing for a loaded Canadian team at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite some back-and-forth with the front office, which at times got a bit ugly with questions about his weight, Murray inked a giant extension to remain the Nuggets’ point guard for the future. But the issues didn’t stop, as Murray season got off to his traditional slow start, and outside noise began to creep in on an inconsistent Nuggets team.

Just like in Denver’s title season, a big shot in December seemed to change everything for Murray. In his 30 games since that night in Sac Town (Dec. 16,) the 27-year-old is averaging 22.9 points, 6.1 assists, 3.9 rebounds on 49.4 shooting, 39.8 from deep and 91.3 from the stripe. 2.1 turns and 1.4 steals a night.

“Our season is two seasons before Dec. 8 and after. Since then, just look at Jamal Murray’s stats, they’ve been amazing,” Michael Malone said picking a slightly different date than I but making the same point. “I think Jamal has really dedicated himself to, even during the season, getting in the best shape he can be in, and that’s allowing him to play 42 minutes, which is a lot of minutes for him. But I didn’t want to be the guy that put that fire out.”

Murray’s strongest flame yet came against the Blazers. He started out smoking, scoring 30 before halftime and he rolled that into the second half where his teammates forced the ball his way. Minus Russell Westbrook, Aaron Gordon, Peyton Watson and Michael Porter Jr., Murray was needed to carry a bigger portion of the Nuggets offensive load—he proved worthy like he almost always does. He finished with 55 points on 20-36 shooting, hitting seven threes, while adding five helpers, four boards and two steals.

“He was just in a great rhythm. Shot looked good. He was just ultra-aggressive tonight,” Malone said. “And I was glad he was because it was one of those games where you just, as a coach, are watching one of your players have that type of a game, just so proud of him and happy for him, and he’s been playing at a high level for us. And tonight was, his best game ever from a number standpoint.”

It wasn’t just Muray as Nikola Jokic tallied a triple-double of 26 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, while Christian Braun added a double-double of 21 points and 10 assists.

“Christian is just out there, just playing at a really, really high level for us, doing everything…” Malone said. “There are really good players in this league. But there’s one great player in my eyes, Please, let’s never ever take Nikola’s greatness for granted. We are witnessing history. I feel fortunate and blessed to have a chance to coach him for 10 years now.”

What was Murray’s best night ever it still fell a point short of Jokic’s career-high of 56, set earlier this season. Those two efforts are the second and third-most points ever scored by a Nuggets player in a game, only trailing David Thompson’s scoring-title-chasing 73-point game. Murray’s effort was just the 17th time (including playoffs) a Nugget has poured in half a century in a night.

Murray has always been this guy, though it’s his first 50 burgers since reconstructive knee surgery. He starts slow then beings to microwaves just when the flurries accumulate in Colorado. The boiling point comes in playoff time, where Murray has been one of the greatest risers in the history of the NBA. Proof, Murray is responsible for about a quarter of the club’s 50 burgers—half of those coming in the playoffs.

“I feel the same. I’m the same person, same player, for years now,” Murray said postgame.

It’s no slight to Murray to say his dance partner Jokic reaches the highest heights of the game more but it’s indisputable that when Jamal is the best player on the floor for the Nuggets, they just win. It’s the recipe the Joker shared over and over again as the team sped to a 16-4 run through the NBA Playoffs to a title in 2023.

So why now? How did the Nuggets get so hot while Denver hits its coldest point?

“I kind of attributed to, and always have, is just taking time for us to gel,” Murray shared. “It’s not just on one player, just because I played a little bit better, we win games, right? I think when I’m making shots it makes us tougher to guard. But it’s not just me. Everybody stepped up. Everybody’s played better defensively, everybody’s more locked in, everybody’s more connected. So, you know, to me, Tonight was another team win.”

It’s the eighth straight win the Nuggets have tallied, their longest of the season as they eye their first 10-game win streak of the Malone-Jokic-Murray Era.

“I think I just want to give credit to the team because it’s going 8-0 before the All-Star Break is really tough,” Murray said. “I know, guys are tired. Guys are anxious to get to the break, I am. And you know, you can kind of let that get in your head, or let it slip away. So the team did a great job, everybody, top to bottom, guys that came in, rookies, two-ways, everyone was locked in and stepped up. And now this is a big eight-game swing. If you can go undefeated going into the break, just gives you a whole bunch of confidence, and everybody comes out in a better mood. So I think we’re in a good place. And, yeah, it’s gonna be a crucial break here. Get Aaron healthy get Mike healthy so forth.”

Murray didn’t share his plans for the break but he did share the team signed a ball that they gifted to him for his scoring output. Gracious about his teammate’s support, the ball meant something to him. He did share where that would go.

“Put it with my other ones, I’ve got a couple of 50 ones, add it to the collection,” he said.

Murray has other game balls of this nature because he’s done this before. This is who Murray is as a player, this is who he’s always been.

Jamal Murray with a game ball for his 55 points signed by the Nuggets: "It means everything (to have support). I've been here my whole career, seeing all the same faces and being in Denver, making the most of the moment. I brought the ball up here bc I couldn't do it out them" pic.twitter.com/aApyG3dykb

— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) February 13, 2025