SUMMARY
- Following his actions in Game 2, Jamal Murray was fined $100,000 without suspension.
- Murray needs to stay out of trouble as the Nuggets truly rely on him in the clutch.
Obviously, things haven’t been great in the Denver Nuggets camp lately. After a phenomenal regular season and first-round series, the defending champions have officially met their matchup. The Minnesota Timberwolves upset the Nuggets in Games 1 and 2 at the Ball Arena, thus putting them in a bad situation.
In Game 2, we witnessed a bland, not-so-great version of the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic simply couldn’t get himself fired up offensively, and Jamal Murray was nothing short of appalling. Murray seemed to be quite frustrated over what was going on. At one point, he threw a heat pack as well as a towel towards a referee.
Jamal Murray’s response to questions about the NBA’s $100k fine was short, but here it is in its entirety: pic.twitter.com/nC2GSplaL7
— Nick Rothschild (@nick_rothschild) May 8, 2024
Murray’s actions were extremely reckless as they could have hurt anybody on the floor. The NBA eventually spoke to Murray, who claimed that he had no ill intentions against any player or the referees. He was slapped with a $100,000 fine but let off the hook without a suspension. However, had Murray gotten suspended, it would’ve meant the end of the Nuggets’ run.
Nikola Jokic relies on Jamal Murray to make crucial shots
Jokic is undoubtedly the most productive player on the Nuggets’ roster and he’s been their number one option for many years now. The 3x NBA Most Valuable Player contributes in nearly every aspect of the game and on a high level. However, based on what we’ve seen, the Nuggets heavily rely on Jamal Murray in the clutch. Murray has been averaging 20.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6 assists per game as Denver’s second option.
But when it comes to clutch moments, Michael Malone can use Jokic as a facilitator to set up shots for Murray. The 27-year-old is arguably the best clutch player in the playoffs for the Nuggets. Murray had two buzzer-beating game-winners in the first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. Given how they’ve been performing lately against the Wolves, Murray needs to stay out of trouble and focus on producing more numbers offensively.
The Nuggets might be in big trouble if they don’t win their next two games
Before the Nuggets vs Timberwolves series, several experts predicted that Denver’s bench would be the reason they fail. Unfortunately, the Nuggets bench hasn’t been impressive, especially when they need to perform against a team with a highly skilled second unit. In both games played, the Wolves’ second unit outscored the Nuggets bench.
Unlike the Wolves who can bank on Nickeil Alexander-Walker or Naz Reid to contribute double-digits any day, the Nuggets do not have reliable scorers. While they do perform decently on defense, the Nuggets do not have players that average even over 5 points per game from the bench. The Wolves could use this to their advantage quite easily to advance into the conference finals.