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Jamal Murray Makes Honest Kawhi Leonard Admission After Nuggets-Clippers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ryan Brooks | Last updated Dec 14, 2024 5:28 PM ET

The Denver Nuggets are back in the win column. They've now come away with two straight victories, this time they took down the LA Clippers in a 120-98 contest.

Denver won quite handily, which is quite impressive given their recent form. An explosive second half led to a large margin of victory, and the squad got a well-rounded effort from everyone involved.

Despite holding a questionable tag entering the game, Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray led the way with 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting while being a plus-18 in the box score. Backup guard Russell Westbrook led the team as a plus-21 in the box score, however.

With six double-digit scorers, the Nuggets got plenty of production from all around, but it's good to see Murray lead the way after a rocky start to the season.

The Clippers themselves have been shorthanded all season. With Paul George having departed in free agency, they've been without Kawhi Leonard who has been injured -- leaving James Harden as the only star available for LA.

After the game, Murray spoke about Leonard and the Clippers.

“He’s a fun guy. I can’t wait to see him back out there. Obviously they’re tough to guard with a guy like that out there. Both offensively and defensively. I hope he comes back from his injury healthy and rejuvenated," Murray said. "...I look forward to that matchup… I love to compete against the best.”

The two are connected with their shoe deals with New Balance, and Murray didn't hide his feelings regarding Leonard. He was highly complimentary of the superstar forward who has had plenty of his career ravaged by injuries -- though he's a high-level player on both sides of the ball when available.

The Clippers certainly needed Leonard when playing the Nuggets, as they were blown out and could have used a major gamechanger like the two-time NBA champion.

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

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