Bold takeaway: Jamal Murray’s season-defining night proves one star can tilt a game, even when the deck is stacked against him. But here’s where it gets controversial: does this performance redefine Murray’s consistency, or merely shine a spotlight on Denver’s depth and a Pacers’ injury woes? This rewrite preserves all essential facts while presenting them with fresh wording, clearer context, and beginner-friendly explanations.
Jamal Murray erupted for a season-high 52 points, and Nikola Jokic narrowly missed a second consecutive triple-double as the Denver Nuggets narrowly withstood a short-handed Indiana Pacers squad, 135-120, on Wednesday night. Murray’s efficiency was off the charts: 19-for-25 from the floor and an astonishing 10-for-11 from three-point range, a 91% clip that tied the NBA record for a game with at least 10 attempts.
This marked Murray’s second career game with at least 50 points, shooting 75% or better, and with one or zero turnovers (he logged one). Since turnovers began being tracked in 1977-78, only Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins have produced similar lines in a game with 50+ points and 0-1 turnovers—a remarkable club to join.
Remarkably, Murray played despite being listed as questionable due to a sprained right ankle before tipoff. He came within three points of tying his career best.
Denver notched its third 50-point game of the season, with Aaron Gordon and Jokic contributing the other two 50-point efforts.
Jokic tallied 24 points, eight rebounds, and 13 assists, performing in front of NBA commissioner Adam Silver. He still owns the league lead with 11 triple-doubles this season, narrowly missing back-to-back triples to start December by two rebounds.
Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr, and Peyton Watson all reached double figures as the Nuggets won for the third time in five games.
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 23 points, while Andrew Nembhard contributed 16 points and seven assists. Indiana had six players reach double figures, but the Pacers have dropped two straight after a rare stretch of back-to-back wins earlier in the season.
The gap between the league-leading scoring Nuggets and a Pacers squad grappling with injuries was most evident. Denver finished with the second-highest point total of the night.
Denver seized control with a 13-0 surge to open the first quarter, pulling ahead 27-17. After Indiana narrowed the gap to 50-45 mid-second quarter, the Nuggets closed the half by outscoring the Pacers 22-3, stifling Indiana for more than four minutes.
The cushion widened to 92-63 by the middle of the third, suggesting an easy night for Denver, but the Pacers surged in the fourth, repeatedly trimming the deficit to single digits.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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