標籤: 45point

Jamal Murray is tired of the narrative. For years, the Denver Nuggets point guard has been labeled as the “Laker Killer”, a player who only finds his highest gear when the purple and gold are on the other side of the court. After Denver’s 120-113 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, Murray decided he’d heard enough of over-the-top praise.

When reporter Ryan Blackburn asked if he played with more intensity against Los Angeles, Murray offered a three-word reality check that doubled as a cold-blooded mic drop: “I had 45 last game.”

The math certainly checks out. Just three nights earlier, Murray torched the Utah Jazz for 45 points in a tough 128–125 win. His point was simple: He’s not hunting the Lakers; He’s just hunting buckets, no matter who is standing in front of him. Whether it’s a divisive opponent or a dungeon dweller, the flamethrower keeps burning.

Against the Lakers at Ball Arena, Jamal Murray remained hot, especially during an impressive opening period. He dropped 20 of his 28 points in the first half, helping the Nuggets take a 16–3 lead, which they never relinquished.

While the Lakers kept things interesting for long periods of time, Denver’s star duo proved too difficult to handle. Nikola Jokic complemented Murray with a huge triple-double whenever Los Angeles threatened a comeback, steadying the ship by posting 28 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists.

Despite losing the effort, the night was historic for the visitors. LeBron James officially broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for career field goals with his 15,838th bucket in the first quarter. James finished with 16 points before being sidelined briefly with an elbow injury, while Luka Doncic led the Lakers’ scoring effort with 27 points.

Despite the star power on the other side, the story remains Denver’s steady dominance. The Nuggets moved to 39-24, providing some much-needed relief in a crowded Western Conference playoff race. For Jamal Murray, it was just another day at the office, and if you think he’s only doing this because it’s the Lakers, he has 45 reasons from Monday night to prove you wrong.

The Denver Nuggets have had to deal with a never-ending avalanche of injury problems this season, and that has caused some difficulties throughout the 2025-26 season. On Monday night, the Nuggets found themselves in a surprisingly close game against a shorthanded Utah Jazz team that was without Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen, and they needed a tough effort from Jamal Murray in the end to earn a 128-125 victory on the road.

The Nuggets had some trouble handling Keyontae George, who scored 36 points on the night. But Murray would say that the Nuggets were never really in danger, because he was the “threat” himself. He went 13-19 from the field and 8-13 from beyond the arc to demolish Utah’s defense for 45 points as he clarify That the Jazz were not going to walk away from this tournament with anything other than participation points.

“Just more decisive. Pushing my range a little bit. They were a switching team, so when I was open, [I had to] shoot it. That’s all we’ve been doing,” Murray told Katie Wing of Altitude Sports after the Nuggets’ win over the Jazz. “I’ve been practicing my whole life. I love getting a chance to show the shots I can make.”

Postgame with Jamal Murray who scored an efficient 45 in the Nuggets’ win over Utah pic.twitter.com/ee8ImTPVbK

– Katy Winge (@katywinge) 3 March 2026

Nuggets to get reinforcements soon

The Nuggets have not been healthy all season, but still, they have a healthy record of 38-24 which puts them in fifth place in the Western Conference.

The goal for Denver will always be to stay healthy because games really matter in the postseason, and it looks like they’re going to be getting reinforcements soon. The injuries of both Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson will be reevaluated soon, and Cam Johnson should have ample time to recover between now and the end of the season.

But as long as Murray and Nikola Jokic are healthy, the Nuggets can win every game. Now it’s just a matter of finding that rhythm, especially once their key players have recovered.