Jamal Murray Makes Admission After Lakers-Nuggets

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ayomide Adeduyite | Last updated Feb 23, 2025 10:57 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers ended an eight-game road losing streak against the Denver Nuggets with a commanding 123-100 victory on Saturday night. It was a statement performance from the Lakers, who now boast one of the league’s most dangerous offensive weapons in Luka Doncic.

The Lakers will look to make it three consecutive wins when they welcome the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. As for Denver, it entered the contest as arguably the NBA’s hottest team, riding a nine-game winning streak, but struggled to match the Lakers’ intensity.

With the win, the Lakers (34-21) climbed to fourth in the Western Conference standings, while the Nuggets (37-20) slipped to the third seed.

After the loss, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said his team was simply outplayed. What's concerning for Denver, as Murray admitted the Nuggets did not match the Lakers' intensity.

"We didn’t match their intensity," Murray admitted postgame (h/t DNVR Sports).

The Nuggets never found their rhythm offensively, with Aaron Gordon serving as their lone bright spot. Gordon led Denver with 24 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Murray contributed 19 points, three rebounds, and six assists in 36 minutes. Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic finished with a low-scoring triple-double, recording 12 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists.

In contrast, the Lakers delivered a well-balanced attack, with four starters scoring 20 or more points. Doncic led the charge with 32 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists in just his fourth game with the Lakers, while LeBron James added 25 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.

Guard Austin Reaves also chipped in 23 points, four rebounds, and seven assists, while Rui Hachimura contributed 21 points and four assists.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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