Nuggets interim coach David Adelman sensed one of Jamal Murray’s patented playoff performances coming, and he was right on the money — just like his point guard.
Murray’s 43-point outburst powered Denver’s 131-115 win over the Clippers on Tuesday night that handed Los Angeles its first back-to-back losses since March 4 and put the Nuggets one win away from a Round 2 matchup with Oklahoma City.
Murray was 17-of-26 shooting, including 8 for 14 from long range.
“Tonight, he played great,” Kawhi Leonard said. “He came out, made shots, got hot, found his teammates and we pretty much couldn’t stop him. He played amazing. Russ (Westbrook) came in and played great, as well.”
Westbrook scored 21 points in his return from a left foot injury, including 16 of them in 12 first-half minutes as Denver led wire-to-wire.
Adelman, the Nuggets’ interim coach, said some of Murray’s shots “were absolutely ridiculous. And I said before the game it’s coming with him. You know it is, in these big moments, these situations. He was born for this.”
“When he’s aggressive, we’re a different team,” Westbrook said. “When he’s got that swagger and he’s going out and competing at the level he did tonight, we’re a tough team to beat.”
Game 6 is Thursday night at the Intuit Dome and another win by Denver would set up a second-round series against top-seeded Oklahoma City, which swept its first-round series with the Memphis Grizzlies.
