NBA News: Fans Can't Believe Nikola Jokic's Insane Assist In Returns From 5-Game Injury Absence 74 Mar 15, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) watches as center Nikola Jokic (15) prepares to shoot the ball in the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Denver Nuggets: Jamal Murray Drops Strong Motivational Quote Ahead of Game 5 Vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated May 13, 2025 10:44 AM ET

The Denver Nuggets are level with the Oklahoma City Thunder at two wins apiece in their second-round best-of-seven series after a 92-87 result in Game 4. Denver missed their opportunity to seize a 3-1 series lead at home.

Despite this, Jamal Murray remains confident in their chances ahead of Game 5. He chalked up their Game 4 performance as a rough day in the office, especially after scoring only eight points in the opening quarter.

“It’s not a funeral, guys,” Murray said via ClutchPoints’ Rachel Strand. “Best out of three. We lost the game. Onto the next.”

Denver Nuggets: Jamal Murray Drops Strong Motivational Quote Ahead of Game 5 Vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 2 Mar 26, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) gestures in the third quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

“We made some shots, so it was good to see the ball go in. That gave us some leg, but we weren’t able to keep it up. Just a rough day at the office. We had our chances, had some opportunities; our defense held up for most of the game. It was just a tough outing,” he added.

Denver Nuggets’ offense was sluggish in Game 4

After an exhausting Game 3 overtime win last Friday, the Denver Nuggets put up one of their worst scoring performances this season in Game 4. The team finished the game on a woeful 31.3 percent shooting from the field, and many believe the short turnaround between games may have played a role.

Denver Nuggets: Aaron Gordon Gives Huge Shoutout to Russell Westbrook for His Game 1 Winner Vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 5 Apr 26, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) celebrates as he runs on the court after scoring the winning shot to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers 101-99 in game four of round one of the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

“Absolutely,” Aaron Gordon said during the postgame interview. “You have an 8 pm game that goes into overtime, and then you have a 1:30 pm game. And 36 hours turnaround, playing the highest level of basketball that you can possibly play, but it’s part of it, and it’s something that we’ve got to get through.”

“I will say that I think both teams are very tired coming off an unbelievably physical overtime battle on a late Friday night. If it affected us, it surely affected them as well,” Denver Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman added. “Both of us had super tired legs, so it was about who’s going to make that final run. When we got up eight, I thought we were making the push, and to their credit, they were the ones to make the final run.”