Nuggets’ Jamal Murray Sheds Light on His Iconic Showdown With Donovan Mitchell Last Season

It is not very often that we get to witness a Game 7 in the first round of the playoffs. But thanks to Jamal Murray and Donovan Mitchell’s historic face-off last season, the Denver Nuggets – Utah Jazz matchup kept us glued to the edge of our seats.

Murray vs Mitchell was one of the greatest duels in the league. Both of them recorded a combined 475 points and 65 three-pointers. This total broke the NBA record that Jerry West and John Havlicek previously set during the 1969 NBA Finals, where they combined for a total of 463 points.

Both Jamal and Donovan were busy one-upping the other, breaking records left and right. What’s even more surprising that the Nuggets overcame a 3-1 deficit against Jazz and ascended to the second round of the playoffs.

However, their terror wasn’t over. When facing the LA Clippers in the Conference Semi-Finals, one they were predicted to lose, they overcame another 3-1 deficit. They became the only team in NBA’s history to have pulled off that upset in a single postseason.

What was it like to duel with Donovan Mitchell?

In conversation with Quentin Richardson, Murray narrated his experience of battling it out with Donovan. “It’s crazy when you put your mind to like just doing whatever it takes to win. Everything kind of falls into place,” said Jamal.

“And then I get into that zone of just not missing and the team relying on shooting and everything. We couldn’t get to stop like that’s the biggest… Like nobody could stop each other. So I come down and hit two threes in a row. Then he comes down and hits two threes in a row. Then I’d come down and make a pass and Jokic gets a layup. And he comes down, throws a lob to Rudy or something.”

“It was just like back and forth, we couldn’t stop each other. It was crazy when I went back and watched that game,” stated Murray.

Was Jamal Murray worried when they were down 3-1?

Quentin asked Jamal, “What did you learn about yourself and your teammates?” Jamal responded, “I think we surprised ourselves with how good we are.”

Murray explained that his room was filled with boxes and he was worried that if they lost, he would have to pack everything up. “I was procrastinating packing the whole time. I was like ‘If we lose this game, I gotta pack this whole room up.’

So, he went to the next game telling himself that he wants to win because he doesn’t want to pack. What a comical way to keep oneself motivated! Well, it looks like it worked, and the Nuggets became those underdogs that won’t ever be taken lightly again.