Game 6 of the semifinal clash between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets did not go the way the latter team would have expected. Instead of securing a 4 win and heading to the Conference Finals, they lost the matchup by an astonishing 45-point gap. The same occurred after the Nuggets roster, especially point guard Jamal Murray, faced difficulty circumventing the defensive prowess put up by Anthony Edwards and Co. Looking to provide a reasonable explanation for this, Murray did not initially choose to praise his rivals but instead put the blame on his physical ailments.

During the post-game press conference, the 27-year-old was asked about how difficult Anthony Edwards made it for him to efficiently score. Murray first proceeded to state “Who?” in order to clarify that he was the person being talked about. Once that was done, he stated, “It was less about (Edwards), it was more about my elbow at that point. Even some passes, my arm… it was more offensively for him. It wasn’t him guarding me. He was scoring on the other end, and scoring at a great rate.”

Onlookers at the Target Center could catch a glimpse of Jamal Murray flexing his right arm during the game in order to determine the condition of his shoulder. Furthermore, the player also showed signs of the ailment during the presser. His right arm was wrapped around in ice, which in turn was covered up with a sweatshirt. The player stated that he took certain measures to keep the injury from getting worse during the course of the game, like applying numbing cream. Despite this, the injury continued to be a bother and would not allow him to perform well.

“I’m disappointed in myself for not being able to give the right production,” Murray continued.

While the 27-year-old stayed on the court for more than half an hour, he could only manage to add a score of 10 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists to his name. While the player’s performance had significantly dropped after he developed a left calf strain before the commencement of the semifinals, his recent score was lower than what he had been averaging. His 4-18 field goals and 2-7 three pointers showed that significant attempts had been made to score, but a majority of the shots made were unsuccessful. Furthermore adding to the team’s difficulties, other than Murray, Nikola Jokic, and Aaron Gordon, no one managed to cross the 10-point threshold.

Anthony Edwards takes the blame for Game 4 loss

Jamal Murray’s recent statement was a bit of a contrast to the one Anthony Edwards made in the aftermath of Game 3. Having taken place over four days ago, it marked the first time during the Semifinals that the Nuggets had managed to get the best of the Timberwolves. Furthermore, the game was close, with Nikola Jokic and Co. winning by just an 8-point lead. Knowing that a better performance from his side could have changed the final outcome, Anthony Edwards didn’t shy away from putting the blame where it belongs.

“I blame myself” said the 22-year-old. “That’s on me. I’ll take the blame for this loss. I came out with no energy at all. I can’t afford to do that for my team. I let my team down, coaches down, fans down.”

Anthony Edwards did not perform as bad as Jamal Murray, scoring 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists within a span of 37 minutes. However, it was way lower than his average score during the previous 2 games and the first round of the playoffs. While he could have easily placed the blame on Karl-Anthony Towns and his foul trouble (like he had done earlier), the Timberwolves lead scorer knew that he had to take responsibility and not make any unnecessary excuses. Possessing the same mentality, ‘Ant-Man’ has now helped the Timberwolves be on an equal 3-3 footing with their rivals.

As of now, no official details have been provided on the severity of Jamal Murray’s injury. That being said, a shoulder ailment is the last thing that he needs before Game 7 as the matchup will decide which team will head to the Conference Finals once and for all.