The LA Clippers picked up a win against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night thanks to big scoring from Benedict Mathurin and Kawhi Leonard. However, he also got assistance from Jamal Murray.
Down by three points, the Nuggets first-time NBA All-Star guard was fouled on a three-point shot attempt with 0.9 remaining on the game clock and no timeouts remaining for either team. Murray, historically a clutch free throw shooter, stepped to the free throw line in front of the Clippers' wall with a chance to tie the game and possibly send it to overtime.
Jamal Murray missed the first free throw, hit the back of the rim on the second free throw, and then had to wait about 30 seconds due to a substitution before taking his third and final free throw to tie. That shot veered off the right side of the rim and rolled right to left, effectively giving the Clippers the win.
Jamal Murray vs. The Wall... missed the last of 3 free throws to tie and the Clippers won. pic.twitter.com/nFuWFgi1Gx
-Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) 20 February 2026
"What was going through my mind?" When Kawhi Leonard was asked this question after the game, he repeated it. "Uh, I was just hoping he'd miss one, seriously, sh-t," Kawhi Leonard said. “I mean, we were up by three, he dropped the first two, so really expected he would miss.”
Kawhi Leonard explains what was going through his mind during Jamal Murray's game-tying free throws:
"I was just hoping he'd miss one, really, bullshit. I mean, we were up by three, he dropped the first two, so I was really hoping he'd miss." https://t.co/BYVzOwVuLO pic.twitter.com/0oG8ybH6oS
-Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) 20 February 2026
Shooting 88.7 percent on the season, Jamal Murray has missed 11 free throws in clutch situations (defined as a five-point game in the final five minutes) this season. Murray is just 11-of-18 from the free throw line in the final minutes of games with a margin of three or fewer points this season.
Kawhi Leonard finished Thursday night's game with 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting, adding four rebounds and three assists. The Clippers forward was clearly battling some type of cold or illness after the game, which is why Benedict Mathurin's big performance was much needed.
In his third game with the LA Clippers, Mathurin scored 38 points on 12-of-22 shooting from the field and 12-of-13 from the free throw line. The 38-point performance is the most by a Clippers player in his home debut as well as the highest individual career performance for the fourth-year guard out of Arizona.
