Having welcomed everything from Most Valuable Player winners, one-dribble pull-up masters, and transcendent gamechangers into its franchise’s 58-year record books, the Denver Nuggets, needlessly said, understand the artful importance of bucket-getting in ways few others do. Somewhere in the middle of every superlative previously mentioned, Jamal Murray decided that during a critical Game Five, one record would belong solely to himself: the most 40-point postseason games in organization history. Leaving behind 17 different field goals by April 29, 2025’s conclusion, Murray hustles into one distinctive example, quickly turning James Harden’s rejected floater into a fruitful breakaway in transition. Routinely checking his rearview for Kawhi Leonard’s shadow-like presence, Murray’s speed eventually prevails, encouraging a crowd-inspiring throwdown that balloons Denver’s late-game lead further. In full-on “Playoff Murray” mode, the Nuggets’ electrifying star overwhelmed the L.A. Clippers for a 43-point display — the sixth-different playoff 40-piece of his career — on eye-opening efficiency (17-of-26), joined by a five-rebound, seven-assist, three-steal, one-block, eight-triple complement. · Apr 30, 2025