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Nuggets guard Jamal Murray’s message to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after Game 7

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Jedd Pagaduan | Last updated May 18, 2025 9:25 PM ET

Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets put up a valiant effort, pushing the 68-win and heavily-favored Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in their second-round matchup, but in the end, they did not have enough to get across the finish line. In Game 7, the Nuggets struggled after a great start to the ballgame en route to suffering a season-ending 125-93 defeat — with Murray, who finished with 13 points on 6-16 shooting from the field, being thoroughly outplayed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the likely winner of the 2025 NBA MVP, put up 35 points on 12-19 shooting from the field and was brilliant for the final three games of the series. His brilliance even frustrated the Nuggets at times, including his Team Canada teammate Murray, who was seen mocking Gilgeous-Alexander’s tendency to exaggerate contact in an attempt to get to the foul line and manufacture easy points for his team in Game 6.

Nonetheless, now that the series is over and all competitiveness can be put to the side, the Nuggets guard wishes his Canadian compatriot nothing but the best. In fact, Murray wants Gilgeous-Alexander to make their hometown proud.

“Bring it home. Bring it home for the 6ix,” Murray told Gilgeous-Alexander at the game’s conclusion, via Reddit.

Jamal Murray to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after the game “Bring it home. Bring it home for the 6ix”
byu/JakGrealish innba

Murray and Gilgeous-Alexander battled together for Team Canada in the 2024 Paris Olympics, and they have built a friendship over the years especially when their hometowns are that close to one another. (Murray was born and raised in Kitchener, Ontario, while Gilgeous-Alexander, while he may have been born in Toronto, hails from Hamilton, Ontario.)

For professional athletes, if they’re going to lose, they might as well fall at the sword of the best. And for the Nuggets, it would be a great honor if they end up being the team that strengthens the Thunder enough for their championship push.

Nuggets can now rest

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) watches Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shoot free throws in the second half of game seven of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

This year’s playoffs has been very exhausting for the Nuggets’ core players . The front office’s shortcomings in bringing in the requisite depth has made it so that Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, and Christian Braun have to log a heavy workload — with Michael Porter Jr. and Russell Westbrook taking turns filling in that fifth spot. Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther tried their best, but in the end, they couldn’t be relied upon in Game 7 to give the Nuggets the boost they needed.

At the very least, they can now rest their weary legs and prepare for next season with the intention of running it back, competing for a championship, but this time doing so with a greater assortment of talent around them.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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