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The Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets have given NBA fans loads of excitement in their first round playoff series, with highlights from Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray making rounds on all forms of media. Currently, the teams are tied at three games apiece, with a pivotal Game 7 matchup on the horizon.
In this piece, we'll make three predictions for the final matchup of this entertaining series.
Spida Senses
As he did for much of the regular season, Donovan Mitchell has placed the Jazz squarely on his shoulders. That's not to say that his teammates haven't performed. It's just that Mitchell has been playing at an all-time great level in the postseason.
In Game 1, Mitchell racked up a whopping 57 points. It was a Jazz playoff record, but it wasn't enough to carry the day. Murray, who had 10 of his 36 points in overtime, led the Nuggets to a 135-125 victory.
Game 2 saw Mitchell scoring 30 points in a blowout win (124-105). 21 of his 30 points came in the huge third quarter performance. Game 4 had both Mitchell and Murray erupting with 50-point efforts. And in Game 6, Mitchell poured in 44 points, while Murray broke off another 50-piece.
Players with multiple 50-point games in a playoff series:
– Michael Jordan
– Allen Iverson
– Donovan Mitchell (this series)
– Jamal Murray (this series) pic.twitter.com/B0yMnsfetS— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 31, 2020
With the series tied and a season on the line, Mitchell knows exactly what time it is. The Jazz will need every bit of his scoring prowess if they hope to advance to the second round, and we're looking for him to deliver.
Prediction: Mitchell goes for (at least) 35 in Game 7.
A Rising Star
Casual hoops fans may not be familiar with Jamal Murray's name, but they're starting to be. The former Kentucky Wildcat put up respectable numbers in the regular season, averaging 18.5 points on 45.6 percent shooting (34.6 percent from beyond the arc). In the postseason, however, Jamal has elevated his game to another level. Through the first six games, he's racked up averages of 34.0 points on 58.5 percent shooting, including an impressive 57.4 percent mark from downtown.
The Nuggets have Nikola Jokic stretching the floor at the five, but it's been Murray's hot hand that has kept Denver in the fight. Twice he's saved his team from elimination in this series, and we're looking for more of the same.
Prediction: Murray and Jokic combine for 70.
Only One Can Advance
This series has been exciting to watch, but only one team can move on to the second round. It seemed as though the Jazz were going to walk away with this one, as they won three of the first four games. However, Murray's outstanding efforts have managed to stave off elimination in the last two games. They've also earned him a fair amount of national recognition.
Murray and the Nuggets are looking to become the 12th team in NBA history to rally from a 3-1 deficit to win a series and the first since 2016, when the Cleveland Cavaliers completed the only such comeback that came in the NBA Finals.
“They believe in me, I believe in them and we're trying to be this 12th team to come back from down 3-1,” Murray told ESPN after Game 6.
Can Murray do it again? Will The Joker step up as well? We think so, which is why we're picking the Nuggets to advance.
