Jamal Murray, not Nikola Jokic, the key to Denver's title chances

The Nuggets entered the game as 7.5-point underdogs on the road, per ESPNBet, and for good reason. The Rockets were on a nine-game winning streak — the longest in the NBA — with the third-best home record in the league (25-10). Furthermore, Nikola Jokic was sidelined for a fourth consecutive game with an ankle injury. The writing was on the wall for Houston to extend its winning streak.

Denver needed Murray to step up big in the battle between the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds. Michael Malone's men were fresh off an embarrassing 128-109 loss to the lowly Trail Blazers. Another loss to the Rockets would have seen them plummet to the fifth seed in the tightly bunded West. Murray answered the bell.  

Entering the second half, the game was a back-and-forth affair, with nine lead changes in the first half alone. That was until Murray took over, dropping 17 of his 39 points in the third quarter to give the Nuggets a decisive edge entering the final period. 

After the win, Malone admitted that his team needed Murray to answer the bell in a critical game with playoff implications.  

"That team, they just won nine games in a row," Malone said, via 104.3 The Fan Denver Sports. "... And we all understood the importance of this game to try to salvage his road trip... When you play with that kind of physicality, urgency, you’re disciplined and execute, you give yourselves a chance. On top of that, Jamal Murray was special tonight."

Murray's exploits on Sunday were a reminder of his stellar 2023 NBA playoffs run, which ended with the Nuggets winning the title. The guard averaged 26.1 points and 7.1 assists through 20 games that postseason, proving to be the perfect sidekick for Jokic. The Nuggets need that version of Murray on a nightly basis to make another title run. It's fair to suggest he hasn't been as dependable over the past 18 months or so.