“That’s What Joker Does”: Jamal Murray Praises His Teammates For Crucial Game 5 Win Against Jazz

The Denver Nuggets won last night and lived to see another day. After being down 3-1 to the Utah Jazz, they were led to a win by Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. The duo combined for 73 points as they took the Nuggets to a 10 point victory in the crucial Game 5 encounter.

Despite a record-breaking game last time, Murray refused to slow down. He had 42 points tonight and was a menace to the Jazz defense. But the onslaught was started by Jokic. He ran riot from the start as he hit all of his eight shots to score 21 in just the first quarter.

During the post-game conference, Murray praised Jokic for this head-start he gave to the team. Murray said, “That (Jokic scoring 21) was huge. Just scoring at a high clip. He was making Rudy have to guard him and step up. He had like 21 of our 33. We needed that start. We needed that boost. That’s what Joker does, and he’s capable of doing that every night. He started, and I finished it.”

Can Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic take the Nuggets to Game 7?

When the reporters kept praising him in the post-game conference, Murray was humble and passed on the credit to the entire team.

“It’s not just about me,” Murray said. “I can put the ball in the hoop but when we come together and we’re on the same page offensively, we’re making them work and we’re getting our run and everybody’s going, we’re a tough team to beat.”

Murray also praised Michael Porter Jr for his contribution. He also talked about how he and Jokic help Porter Jr throughout the game.

“Having Mike out there with me and Joker challenges us to help him out,” Murray said. “Tell him where he’s going on plays, matchups, where to shoot. Little tips here and there and it’s making all of us better. What he gives us on offense and his rebounding and his hustle is unmatched.”

Tonight was a valiant effort, but the Nuggets are still down 2-3. They are one game away from elimination, so they cannot afford to rest. They will have to come out all guns blazing tomorrow, as they battle to stay in contention. Nuggets fans will be praying for another win, and hopefully a Murray masterclass as well.