Denver Nuggets take Utah’s best shot, prove how dangerous they can be
Denver Nuggets take Donovan Mitchell’s best shot and prevail
With 9:10 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Utah Jazz took an 88-83 lead after a Joe Ingles 3-pointer. With Donovan Mitchell in the midst of a playoff career-high (he finished with 57 points), it was looking like another Game 1 disappointment for the Denver Nuggets.
Since that point in the fourth quarter, the Nuggets, led by Jamal Murray‘s team-high 36 points (and numerous clutch baskets), would outscore the Jazz by 15 points to take a 1-0 series lead. Officially, Denver beat the Jazz 135-125 in overtime.
Murray scored 20 of his points in the fourth quarter and overtime as Nikola Jokic added 29 huge points as well. While Mitchell will garner most of the headlines due to scoring 57 points in the loss, what was lost in the league’s playoff opener will be Denver’s grit and ability to turn it on at a high level.
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Down five with time running out in the. fourth, with Mitchell taking over, the Nuggets could’ve rolled over and chalked a Game 1 loss on Donovan Mitchell being Donovan Mitchell. However, that was the moment that Murray and the Nuggets rose to the occasion. It may sound like an overstatement, but what the Nuggets did in Game 1 revealed this team’s character and showcased just how dangerous they can be on any given night.
When the Nuggets needed him most, Murray took the team’s offense over and helped the team overcome an onslaught from Mitchell. Murray scored his final 20 points in the fourth quarter (to help the team come back and force overtime) and overtime (to clinch the win).
Looking back, this win will only give the Nuggets a 1-0 series lead, but you can’t help but wonder what more the Jazz could do to try and beat Denver. With no homecourt, the Nuggets took the Jazz’s best shot – with Mitchell nearly scoring 60 points – and Murray and Jokic still found a way to emerge with the victory.
Not only does that have to be demoralizing for the Jazz, but it has to give the Nuggets confidence not only in this series but moving forward.
Led by Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, the Nuggets have taken a 1-0 series lead over the Jazz. It wasn’t pretty, especially on the defensive end, but Denver emerged victorious to open the NBA playoffs.
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Maybe we’re having a different conversation if Bojan Bogdanovic was healthy or if Mike Conley played in Game 1, but the fact that the Nuggets were able to take Utah’s best shot in Game 1 and still win by double-digits has to be considered a great sign for this team and their chances in the Western Conference playoffs.