After Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray tore his left ACL in April 2021, the Kentucky product asked his head coach, Michael Malone, a powerful question about his NBA future.
“Are you guys going to trade me? I’m damaged goods.”
Malone told reporters about Murray’s question to him after the Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. Denver’s coach, who has a strong relationship with Murray, told his star player that he wouldn’t give up on him.
“I hugged him and said, ‘Hell no. Your ours. We love you. We’re going to help you get back and you’re going to be a better player for it.'”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Jamal Murray & Denver Nuggets Updates
Murray missed the entire 2021-22 season recovering from his injury. The 26-year-old made his grand return to the lineup this season and didn’t disappoint, averaging 20.0 points and 6.2 assists while shooting 45.4% from the field and 39.8% from beyond the arc.
The Lakers have had no answers for Murray in the conference finals. The Nuggets star is averaging 35.0 points and shooting an efficient 52.1% from the floor. Murray had 37 points in Game 3, with 30 of those points coming in the first half.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Jamal Murray & Denver Nuggets Updates
“I mean, once he gets going, it’s kind of hard to turn him off,” Lakers superstar LeBron James said about Murray. “I mean, obviously you know, he got going from the very beginning. We watched one clip at halftime where we allowed him to see the ball go in because we didn’t match up in transition.
“And early in the first quarter, he had one from their left-wing by their bench, wide open shot,” James explained. “And a guy that has that type of rhythm, and we all know, I mean, Jamal is one of those guys in our league that if you — he’ll run off 20 in a quarter or 30 in a half, and that’s what he did tonight.”
The Nuggets can sweep the Lakers in the conference finals by winning Game 4 in LA.
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