TORONTO — It had all the trappings of another play in a long highlight reel of beautiful Nikola Jokić–Jamal Murray moments. The two have been at the center of the Denver Nuggets’ recent run. Specifically, they are the copilots of the two-man actions that define the offense.
With the Nuggets down 2 on Monday, Murray threw an entry pass to Jokić and came screaming around the big man’s back, taking a handoff and forcing a switch from the Toronto Raptors . Murray got past Raptors big Jakob Poeltl before exploding to the rim, ultimately finishing a cinematic reverse layup. It forced overtime in a 127-125 win, the Nuggets’ first of the season.
JAMAL MURRAY TIES IT AT 112 🔥🔥 WHAT A MOVE TO SEND THE GAME OT!! pic.twitter.com/l7ADF49uiv — NBA (@NBA) October 29, 2024 If you looked a little closer, though, things were not so idyllic.
Denver coach Michael Malone determined the Nuggets could afford to play without Jokić for just three minutes in the second half. The Raptors didn’t have their best lineup, with star Scottie Barnes having left the game moments earlier after getting hit in the face. The Nuggets were in a position to tie the score with a layup because the Raptors split four free throws down the stretch.
Advertisement And the chemistry between the two Denver pillars was only kind of there. Murray’s entry pass to Jokić left something to be desired, leaving the center scrambling back to the 3-point line to corral the briefly fumbled ball. “We execu.
