When the dust settled following the fifth and final period of play between the Denver Nuggets and the Orlando Magic, Michael Malone’s young point guard, Jamal Murray, walked off the court as the game’s leader in both points and minutes played. Without his partner in the front court, Gary Harris, who’s still awaiting a detailed diagnosis on a hip injury, Murray was asked to shoulder a heavy load in the overtime victory.
Murray spent a lot time with both the starters and the bench, and had one of his better games from the point guard position. While he didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, just 10-25 from the field, he racked up 8 assists and only turned the ball over once. Perhaps more importantly, he showed some growth in the pick-and-roll with Nikola Jokic, both as a scorer and a passer.
Murray exploited Orlando’s uncertainty on how to handle Jokic as he ambled towards the rim, and made them pay with his beloved floater on more than one occasion. He finished the game with 31 points, four of them coming in the final minutes of overtime to put the Magic away.
Watch his highlights here:
