Jamal Murray matched his jersey number in points on Friday as he and the Denver Nuggets outfought the Oklahoma City Thunder in a crucial Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals that needed overtime to determine a winner. Murray led all Denver scorers with 27 as he outperformed fellow Kentucky guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander down the stretch.
In addition to scoring, Murray finished the game with eight assists, four rebounds, four steals, and a block. He also put up some ridiculous-looking highlight finishes for a couple of buckets, including a clutch one in overtime.
HOW DID JAMAL MURRAY MAKE THIS
pic.twitter.com/OzStMoNoQq
— NBA (@NBA) May 10, 2025
Murray has stepped up big in the postseason. He ranks third among all players in total points scored in these playoffs, and he leads all point guards in playoff scoring over the last three years.
Speaking of clutch, to get to OT, the Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon made yet another big-time 3 to tie the game with less than a minute left. Gilgeous-Alexander had a chance to take the lead in the final seconds, but this acrobatic shot while driving the lane caromed off the rim. Then, the man he is battling in the MVP race, Nikola Jokic, who wore the actual Joker’s suit into the arena, missed a fadeaway jumper that would have won it in regulation. In OT, it was all Denver.
Even though it wasn’t SGA’s best game, he nearly had a triple-double. His 18 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists looked great on paper, but a deeper dive showed that he shot just 7-22 on the night and 1-6 from behind the arc. In the 4th quarter and OT, he shot just 1-8 and had just three points. To be fair, though. Usually, the Thunder are up by so much that he doesn’t even play the 4th quarter. Maybe he’s not used to it.
Cason Wallace chipped in two points for OKC, but he, too, wasn’t the X factor that he has been in other games.
Murray and the Nuggets now lead the 1-seed Thunder 2-1. Game 4 will be on ABC in Denver Sunday afternoon.
Elsewhere in the NBA, Zack Geoghegan’s Cleveland Cavaliers routed the Pacers in a must-win Game 3 to bring the series to a 2-1 Indy lead.
BBNBA Statistics for 5/9/2025
| Player | Score | PTS | FG (3PT) | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | P/M | MIN |
| Jamal Murray (DEN) | 113-104 W vs. OKC | 27 | 9-19 (2-5) | 4 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | +14 | 48 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | 104-113 L vs. DEN | 18 | 7-22 (1-6) | 13 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | -4 | 45 |
| Cason Wallace (OKC) | 104-113 L vs. DEN | 2 | 1-3 (0-2) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -5 | 20 |
| Isaiah Jackson (IND) | 104-126 L vs. CLE | DNP-Achilles |
Today in the NBA Playoffs
Eastern Conference Semifinals | Game 3 | NYK lead 2-0
3:30 (ABC) | Celtics @ Knicks (Towns)
Western Conference Semifinals | Game 3 | Series tied 1-1
8:30 (ABC) | Timberwolves (Randle, Dillingham: out) @ Warriors (Knox)
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