Nov 29, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) and center Nikola Jokic (15) against the Phoenix Suns at the Mortgage Matchup Center. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Jamal Murray Speaks on Unique Chemistry With Nikola Jokic

Originally posted on Denver Nuggets on SI
By Logan Struck | Last updated Mar 21, 2026 9:31 AM ET

After one of their worst losses of the season, the Denver Nuggets bounced back to defend their home court in a 121-115 win over the Toronto Raptors. The Nuggets trailed by as many as nine points in the fourth quarter, but got things done down the stretch.

As usual, the Nuggets leaned on their All-Star duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in the clutch, and it worked out very well on Friday night. After the game, Murray spoke about the unspoken communication and unique chemistry between him and his superstar teammate.

"There's a lot of communication with no words. Just with the basketball and with our eyes," Murray said about his communication with Jokic. "We've created a really good chemistry and just also feel for each other. ... He also reads me, and I read him, like him as a being. He reads me as my emotions and stuff like that. We've seen a lot of coverages ... so we just figure it out, and we're both unselfish with the ball, and we have amazing guys behind us who step up and are ready to hoop and read us as well."

The best duo in the NBA?

One of the biggest strengths of Murray and Jokic's partnership is the way they are able to control the game in the clutch. Sure, the Nuggets have had some concerning defensive struggles in crunch time this season, but they know they can always count on their offense to get the job done.

In Friday's win, Murray had 12 fourth-quarter points to finish the game with 31 points, five rebounds, and six assists, putting together an impressive performance. Jokic had six fourth-quarter points in six minutes, highlighted by a go-ahead floater with just 44 seconds left that ultimately sealed the game.

When they are clicking like this in the clutch, especially while key players like Aaron Gordon and Tim Hardaway Jr. are also making big plays, the Nuggets seem virtually unstoppable.

Jamal Murray in tonight's win:

31 PTS
5 REB
6 AST

A mix of threes, midrange jumpers, and buckets in the paint pic.twitter.com/Wq5koeF6fX
— NBA (@NBA) March 21, 2026

A team win

While Murray speaks about his connection with Jokic, he also credits the entire team for Friday's win.

"A lot of guys came to play tonight on both ends, and I think that's what won the game," Murray said. "I mean, everybody pitched in. Everybody came in and impacted the game. ... There's so many ways that the whole team impacted the game and that's why we won."

Hardaway Jr., Gordon, Christian Braun, Bruce Brown, and Spencer Jones all individually made huge plays to keep Denver alive on Friday's win, and while Jokic and Murray are the ultimate stars of the show, they deserve just as much credit.

This Nuggets team knows that if they want to win a title this season, it will be on the backs of every player in the lineup, not just the star duo. Of course, they need Murray and Jokic to lead the way, especially in the clutch, but it comes down to what they can do as a team, and they showed it on Friday night.

This article first appeared on Denver Nuggets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: