How did Jamal Murray become a key player in Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets?

It’s no secret that the main name of the denver nuggets called Nikola Jokic. And this has been for quite some time. The two-time NBA MVP – and who almost took the third consecutive award – has been dominating opponents and achieved a historic feat by leading the team to the league finals. But, of course, Jokic did not achieve this rank alone. And among so many stars on the team, one has been drawing a lot of attention this season and, especially, in the playoffs: Jamal Murray.

At just 26 years old, the Nuggets point guard was born and raised in Kitchener, Ont., and was drafted by Denver, with 2016-17 being his first season in the NBA. Initially, he landed a 2-year, $14.5 million contract as he was selected seventh overall in the Draft. And from the beginning he already showed that he was a good acquisition of the franchise.

In 2017, Murray was named Rising Stars Challenge MVP after scoring 36 points and 11 assists. In the same year, against pelicans, scored 30 points in the 122-106 victory and, at the end of the season, ended up being elected to the second team of the NBA. And Murray’s progression through the Nuggets roster has been consistent. And he also proved to be decisive when, in 2018, in the first appearance in the playoffs, he had 48 points in the victory against Boston Celtics. And the average has since proved to be constant.

In Game 3 of the Finals against the Miami Heat, Jokic and Jamal Murray joined forces to lead the Nuggets to their biggest win in franchise history. 109 to 94, with two players scoring triple-doubles: Nikola and Jamal. Returning to lead the series, Jokic, twice MVP, scored 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists and became the first player in NBA Finals history to have a 30-20-10 game. Murray scored 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Including a high average attendance for both, who away from home, in the playoffs, could not perform in this way, until then.

For the Miami Heat, the last game was a complete nightmare. While the defense was preoccupied with the unstoppable Nikola Jokic – to no avail – Jamal Murray was punishing the scoreboard with several balls of Jimmy Butlerwho was on the lineup, barely managed to keep pace with his opponent.

The historic performance of Jokic and Murray made both assume the title of Best Duo in the NBA, currently. In game 3, they separated Miami’s consistent defense, which had a good performance in game 2. It was possible to observe an effective break in zone coverage and, mainly, left the Heat players lost with what would be the priority of marking. In the end, both Nikola and Jamal benefited, adding 64 points to Denver’s 109.

“I would say it’s the confidence. That was the best way to bring it back,” Jamal Murray said at a press conference after Game Three of the NBA Finals. “All you have to do is read the game and trust that the other will make the right move. If he plays for me, he knows and expects what he’s going to see from me, and he knows the intensity with which I’m playing. I know when he’s passing, I know when he’s looking to score, I know when he’s the best player on the court, I know when he’s slow to get into the game.”he added, commenting on the chemistry with Nikola Jokic.

The chemistry between Jokic and Murray is one of the main assets of the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals. Chemistry that was built by years of working together on the court. And that it is reaping rewards in the playoffs, showing the dominant strength even against more favorite teams, like the Los Angeles Lakers, who were swept in the Western Finals.

Now, for the Miami Heat, it has become very clear that it is not enough to worry only about Nikola Jokic’s overwhelming performances. Marking the Serb without putting pressure on Murray ends up being the same as nothing, given the high average of the “hometown” athlete. Mainly for intelligence and efficiency on the field, growing, mainly, in moments of greater pressure under the Denver Nuggets.

Now, Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets face off for Game 4 of the NBA Finals this Friday (9), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at the Kaseya Center, in Miami, with live broadcast on ESPN and on the streaming platform Star+. If Jokic and Murray get another victory, they will return to Denver with a chance to win the league title at home.