Nuggets edge Clippers in thriller to take series lead

DENVER: The Denver Nuggets edged the LA Clippers in a nail-biting clash at Ball Arena on Wednesday, securing a 3-2 series lead in the first-round playoff matchup.

It was a commanding performance from the Nuggets, who set the tone early and never looked back. Jamal Murray led the charge with a sensational 43-point outing, adding 12 rebounds and three assists in 40 minutes.

His shot-making and court awareness were on full display as he guided Denver to a crucial win.

Murray caught fire in the second half, scoring 11 points in the third quarter to shift the momentum, followed by 13 more in the fourth.

His final bucket, a deep three-pointer with 2:13 remaining, gave the Nuggets a commanding 20-point lead. Aaron Gordon added valuable support with 23 points, four rebounds, and two assists in 37 minutes.

“Tonight, he played great,” Clippers star Kawhi Leonard said post-game. “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, returning from a left foot injury, finished with 21 points — 16 of them in just 12 first-half minutes — but it wasn’t enough to overcome Denver’s dominance. The Nuggets led wire-to-wire.

Denver interim coach David Adelman praised Murray’s performance, saying, “Some of his shots were absolutely ridiculous. 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.”

This marked Murray’s best scoring game outside the NBA’s 2020 bubble in Orlando.

“When he's aggressive, we're a different team,” said Gordon. “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 set for Thursday evening at the Intuit Dome. A Denver victory would send them to the second round, where they’ll face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, who swept their first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies.