Jamal Murray answers Shaq’s ‘challenge’ with a 45-point bomb against the Mavericks
Jamal Murray had a little a slow start to the 2024-25 seasonand the national media began to take notice. Not only did they notice, but some even ‘called out’ Denver Nuggets rush hour.
Speaking during TNT’s pregame show before the Nuggest’s 118-99 win over the Dallas Mavericks, Shaquille O’Neal singled out “Mr. Murray” for he doesn’t show up for his team.
“Mr. Murray, where have you been? “I don’t know if you’re hurt or not, so I’m not really going to go in,” O’Neill said. “I guarantee you this: Once you step up and play to the level that helped you win the championship, you’ll all be champions again.”
Jamal Murray explodes for 45 points against the Mavericks
Murray didn’t hear O’Neal’s challenge before the game, but he went anyway, dropping 45 points with two rebounds and six assists. He was also on fire from beyond the arc, going 5-for-9 from 3-point range.
After the game, Murray was made aware of O’Neal’s comments, which encouraged him to do so “to work.”
Related Denver Nuggets NewsThe article continues below
“He’s 100 percent right,” Murray said. “I have to do my best; I have to play better. I played terribly until today, and I was struggling. It’s all about ups and downs and weather storms. Just take this as a positive note and keep moving. You can’t be too high, you can’t be too low. Not just me, but we all want to keep this going and keep this momentum going.”
The Nuggets themselves have faced a bit of a roller coaster season. But they seem to have hit a hot streak this past week. Murray warms up, and Nikola Jokic continues to record a triple-double in the regular season.
With a dominant 118-99 win over the Mavericks, thanks to a huge performance from Murray, O’Neal made a bold statement after the game.
“When this guy plays like this, the Denver Nuggets are unstoppable,” O’Neal said.
If the Nuggets continue their hot streak, they will get hot at the right time. In fourth place in the Western Conference, they are within reach of the second and third seeds. But Wednesday will be their next big test against the Houston Rockets, who are second in the Western Conference.
2025-01-16 02:24:00
