Instant reaction to Jamal Murray’s 45-point outburst against the Jazz
The Denver Nuggets have dealt with a never-ending avalanche of injury problems this season, and that has led to several difficulties during the 2025-26 campaign. On Monday night, the Nuggets found themselves in a surprisingly close game against a recent Utah Jazz team missing Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen, and they needed a herculean effort by Jamal Murray in the end to secure a 128-125 away win.
The Nuggets had trouble handling Keyonte George, who scored 36 points on the night. But Murray would say the Nuggets were never in danger because he himself was a “danger.” He demolished Utah’s defense with 45 points on 13-19 shooting from the field and 8-13 from beyond the arc, as made it clear that Jazz will leave nothing but participation points from this competition.
“Just more determined. I expanded my range a little bit. They were a turnover team, so when I was open, (I had to) shoot. That’s all we do,” Murray told Katie Wing of Altitude Sports after the Nuggets’ win over the Jazz. “I’ve been practicing all my life. I like to get a moment to show the shots I can make.”
After a game with Jamal Murray scoring an efficient 45 in the Nuggets’ win over Utah pic.twitter.com/ee8ImTPVbK
— Kati Vinge (@kativinge) March 3, 2026
The Nuggets are about to get a boost
The Nuggets just haven’t been healthy all season, but even then they have a healthy 38-24 record that keeps them in fifth place in the Western Conference.
The goal for Denver will always be to stay healthy when the games really matter in the postseason, and it looks like they’re about to get a boost. Both Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson will be re-evaluated from their injuries soon, and Cam Johnson should have plenty of time between now and the end of the season to recover.
But as long as Murray and Nikola Jokic are healthy, the Nuggets can win every game. Now it’s just a matter of finding that angle, especially when their key players return from rehab.
2026-03-03 07:13:00
