AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post
The Denver Nuggets rode Jamal Murray’s stellar passing and facilitating skills to move within one win of the first championship in franchise history after Friday’s 108-95 win over the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Speaking to reporters after the victory, Nuggets star Nikola Jokić praised Murray for guiding the team to this point.
“I think that’s where you see the growth and maturity in his game,” Jokić said. “I think he was amazing today. Of course, some nights you miss, some nights you make. But he’s our leader, and we are following him.”
Murray’s playmaking became essential early in the fourth quarter when head coach Michael Malone had to sit Jokić when he picked up his fifth foul with 9:24 remaining.
The Nuggets were leading by 10 at that point, but Jokić’s foul troubles opened the door for Miami to get back in the game. The Heat responded by scoring five points in the next 42 seconds to cut the deficit to 86-81.
Murray ended the run with a three pointer on Denver’s next possession and assisted on three consecutive baskets from Aaron Gordon, Jeff Green and Bruce Brown.
By the time Jokić came back into the game with 4:09 left to play, the Nuggets were leading 96-87. The two-time MVP only played 37 minutes, nine seconds on Friday, his fewest in a game since Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Phoenix Suns (32 minutes, 56 seconds).
Murray struggled to find his shooting touch throughout the game. He finished 5-of-17 from the field, though he did make two of his three attempts from behind the arc. The 26-year-old had 12 assists with no turnovers.
Per ESPN Stats & Info, only Robert Reid in 1986 (17) and Magic Johnson in 1987 (13) had more assists with no turnovers in an NBA Finals game than Murray on Friday night.
This is a continuation of the impressive performance Murray has had throughout this postseason. He’s averaging 26.7 points on 47.6 percent shooting (40.1 percent from behind the arc), 7.1 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game in 19 playoff games.
Murray and the Nuggets can wrap up the NBA Finals when the series returns to Denver for Game 5 on Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
