Nuggets vs Thunder: Takeaways on Jamal Murray and the OT Loss
Nov 25, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots over Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) in the fourth quarter at the Pepsi Center. The Thunder won 132-129. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
The Denver Nuggets lost a close game in OT, to the Oklahoma City Thunder, thanks to a 4th quarter comeback led by Russel Westbrook.
In a few years, Jamal Murray just might be Denver’s Russell Westbrook.
Another loss has been added to Denver’s record. Fans of the franchise must be tired of trying to see the positives from disappointing games like these, but Friday’s match-up against the Thunder did arguably go better than it should have. The saddening part was just how close the Denver Nuggets and Jamal Murray were to another win.
The Nuggets were swept by the Thunder in last season’s series, and this time they were without Danilo Galinari, Will Barton, and Gary Harris. In the waek of these injuries, Jamal Murray has stepped up his game bigtime, and did as much as anyone could have asked from the rookie.
But still, excuses, good as they may be, do not change losses into wins.
The Nuggets had a thirteen point lead in the second half of the 4th quarter which should have translated into the win.
In fact, for the most part, the Nuggets played pretty good basketball. Denver came out on top the rebounding battle, though the difference started to dwindle as time wound down. But they did ultimately out-rebound the Thunder by 11, and also ended with 34 collective assists, and 62 points in the paint.
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This shows major improvement from their last loss, to the Jazz, where the Nuggets only logged 14 assists and 30 points in the paint.
Despite this improvement, the Thunder still got the best of Denver, and finished shooting over 50% from the field and from three point range, as a team. Russel Westbrook was dishing out assists left and right, and his teammates were getting great looks. He went into halftime with double-digit assist numbers and ended with 18 total assists. This is just impressive.
It seemed, at first, as if Westbrook was being somewhat contained,a s his scoring remained low, but he changed that in the second half. He was simply too momentous for the Nuggets to keep up with.
Things are looking up for the Nuggets, and most importantly, Nuggets rookie Jamal Murray had another 20+ point game, his third straight.
Murray has been playing quite well lately, as he is now averaging just over 21 points in his last four games. Murray has shown his versatile scoring abilities by shooting deep threes, driving to the basket, and converting at the foul line.
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The Nuggets were actually in line to lose by three points in regulation, but Murray bailed the team out by getting to the line on a deep three point attempt, and going 3-3 to tie it up. The rookie suddenly looks shockingly adjusted o the NBA, and if he can keep up his recent production, Jamal Murray may become a serious contender for Rookie of the Year.
Emmanuel Mudiay broke out of his recent slump by scoring 17 against OKC, going 5-10 from the field and 3-6 from deep. He also dished out 5 assists with only one turnover, which is a stat-line that all Nuggets fans will likely appreciate. The young Denver bigs were a bit more concerning, as their inability to effectively rebound and defend the paint in the final minutes were huge contributors to the loss.
In the end, this loss brought out the pain of not having a franchise once again for Nuggets fans. In Friday’s game, it was fairly obvious that Russel Westbrook was single handedly taking the win away from Denver. Wilson Chandler was solid in his start, notching a massive double-double, with 32 points and 11 rebounds. “Ill Will” showed that he does not need to come off of the bench to be effective. Fellow veteran Jameer Nelson had a big night as well, notching too a double-double, with 21 points and 13 assists.
Ultimately, Westbrook’s closing abilities and competitiveness went unmatched.
The Nuggets nearly survived, thanks to the on-court closing leadership of Jameer Nelson and Wilson Chandler, with a little Kenneth Faried sprinkled in, along with Jamal Murray. Murray’s being in this group, as a rookie, shows that he may yet give Denver that franchise player that they need.
In a few years, Jamal Murray just might be Denver’s Russel Westbrook. In spirit at least, as his game is much more remnant of Steph Curry’s, Damian Lillard’s, or a jacked up J.J. Reddick’s. Watching this young man play is exciting, and now that he has acquired the attention of NBA defenses across the league, Murray’s true test will be presented. If he can continue to produce effectively in these next few weeks, then we can officially call Jamal Murray the real deal.
For now, things are looking up. Hang tight Nuggets fans, the future may just be ours.
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