After a heartbreaking Game 4 loss at home to the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Clippers came into Denver for Game 5 looking to reset and get their nose back in front in this first round clash. However, Jamal Murray wasn't about to let that happen.
Murray has had an up and down series so far, but on Tuesday night he showed the same ability that made him a playoff legend in the bubble in 2020 and during the Nuggets' championship run in 2023. The sharpshooter had it all rolling in Game 5, finishing with 43 points and seven assists on 17-for-26 shooting and 8-for-14 from 3-point range.
Every time the Nuggets needed a bucket, Murray was there. After the Clippers kept the game close in the first half, Murray exploded in the third quarter to give the Nuggets a big lead. When the Clippers got it back to single digits in the fourth quarter, Murray got some big time baskets to put the game out of reach.
After the game, Nuggets fans and fans around the NBA were pumped up to see Murray back in full flow.
This is how life feels when Jamal Murray is hitting his shots pic.twitter.com/hLoi35CX35
— Grace Marlowe (@graceofthecurls) April 30, 2025
Playoffs Jamal Murray pic.twitter.com/iNkG7U8jX8
— 💫 (@NewMediaSports_) April 30, 2025




Life when Jamal Murray hits his shots: pic.twitter.com/Uxy4ndRfzG
— Jokić af (@nikola_burner) April 30, 2025
If the Nuggets can get this version of Murray moving forward, they will be very tough for anybody to beat. That is a big ask considering some of his inconsistent play this season and some of the injuries that he has been dealing with — he even rolled an ankle in this game — but he unlocks the best version of this Nuggets team.
The Nuggets also got a great game from Russell Westbrook in their best team effort so far in this series, which went a long way toward getting the Nuggets the win.
Now, Murray and his squad will head back to Los Angeles, where they split Games 3 and 4, to try to close out the series in Game 6. Murray struggled a bit at times to get going in those two games, especially when the Clippers had Kris Dunn and Kawhi Leonard chasing him around, but this game has a chance to get him going and springboard him into more performances like this throughout the rest of the playoffs.