Jamal Murray made a triumphant return to the playoffs after being out for over a year with a knee injury. The Denver Nuggets’ point guard scored 34 points and made six 3-pointers during Game 1 against the Phoenix Suns. Murray’s back-to-back 3 pointers in the fourth quarter sealed the game for the Nuggets. He encouraged the home crowd by pointing to the court and shouting, “We waited for this!”
“Murray is a bad man. I mean, Jamal Murray lives for this,” said Denver head coach Michael Malone. Murray made 13 contested shots during Game 1 against the Suns, the most of any playoff game in his career. He also converted a difficult layup high off the glass over Kevin Durant’s extended arm, a move he practiced many times with his dad while watching Michael Jordan growing up.
The Nuggets are eager to show that this is their moment and are aiming to take one game at a time. The Suns were the favorites to win the series, despite being the 4th seed. The Nuggets, led by Murray, have proved to be tough to beat, having won 18 of the 21 games against the Suns in which Murray has played. Game 2 is set to take place at Ball Arena on Monday.
