Watch: Nuggets star Jamal Murray gets hot in the first half

Murray scored 18 points before the half on 8-of-13 shooting, as the Denver Nuggets took a 56-41 halftime lead on the Minnesota Timberwolves. Murray had just 17 points in all of Game 1 and a paltry eight points in Game 2, when he also threw a hot pack on the court in frustration. And a towel.

The Nuggets looked like they were reeling after a blowout loss in Game 2 put them down 2-0 in their second-round series. They knew they needed to win at least two games in Minneapolis to survive the series, and the Nuggets came out like they wanted one of those wins to be Game 3. They won the first quarter 28-20 and the second 28-21.

It helped that Wolves defensive ace Jaden McDaniels got into foul trouble ... and that Rudy Gobert looked like the sleep-deprived new father he is ... and that the Nuggets bench only missed one shot in the second half, with Christian Braun and Justin Holiday shooting 4-of-5.

The Nuggets still have a long way to go, but at least they’ve got Murray back for the journey.