Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray has been dealing with inflammation in his left knee, leading to modest performances in his last two games, where he scored just seven and 17 points before Tuesday’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks.
Shaquille O’Neal, a Hall of Famer and Inside the NBA analyst, was vocal about his expectations for Murray. On TNT’s pregame show, Shaq urged the star guard to step up if the reigning NBA champions, the Nuggets, hoped to make another championship run.
Murray responded in spectacular fashion, erupting for 45 points, alongside six assists, two steals, and two rebounds in 37 minutes to help the Nuggets secure a 118-99 victory. After the game, when Murray was informed about Shaq’s “get to work” comment, he nodded in agreement, saying, “I agree 100%.”
Reflecting on his performance, Murray said, “When I’m on, there’s nothing to worry about. That’s how the team feels too. When Jok [Nikola Jokic] is going, we know he’s got it. But when I’m on, we feel like everything will be fine, as long as we play defense. Shaq’s right. I’ve been struggling lately, and I needed to play better.”
Following the game, Shaq shared that his tough love came from a place of belief in Murray, calling him “a dog” and expressing satisfaction with Murray’s performance.
This season, Murray has averaged 19.8 points, 6.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game over 33 contests, shooting 38.1% from beyond the arc.
