The Nuggets emerged victorious in a crucial game against the Jazz. It was all or nothing for Mike Malone’s team, and it was his two best players who stepped up on a night which demanded quality. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray shared their contributions with much effect. We saw the big man firing in the first half, followed by Murray’s masterclass in the second. 

The Nuggets didn’t look inspired in the first half, even though Nikola Jokic played with all his might. The 25-year-old had a perfect first quarter and made all of his attempted field goals. His fifth and final three-pointer in the first quarter came through an elegant buzzer-beater. 

However, even with Jokic firing hard, the Nuggets trailed for most parts of the first half. After the break, a rejuvenated Nuggets team, with Jamal Murray, fired from all ends of the court. 

As a team, the Nuggets put on an incredible performance in the second half. They limited the Jazz’s attack, restricting them to only 44 points. Contrastingly, their lack of defensive organization enabled Utah to score 63 on them in the first half. 

Nikola Jokic gives insight on what went down for the Nuggets in the second half

The Nuggets struggled to contain Utah’s offense all series. In fact, this is the first game in the series where Denver has restricted the Jazz to a score below 120. So that speaks volumes about how good their defense has been this game. 

When Nikola Jokic was asked to reflect on the team’s improvement, he was honest about it. The seven-foot big man mentioned how they came out with a different approach in the second half.

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“We gave them different looks,” Jokic said. “To be honest, we didn’t even know what we were doing. We were just aggressive sometimes– we were just helping each other.”

The two-time NBA All-Star expressed how the team stuck together as a unit, which helped in overcoming the jitters. “When you have good energy and players playing for each other, helping each other– even if you make a mistake, somebody’s gonna be there to help you.” 

The team found the determination to win, and they succeed in their mission. Being 3-1 down in the series and putting up a convincing performance in the second half when you’re trailing, is no easy task. Thus, Jokic duly credited the major factors behind the Nuggets’ victory. 

“I think the energy won the game for us…and Jamal,” Jokic added. Indeed, Jamal Murray was an instrumental piece in the team’s victory in Game 5. He racked up 42.0 points, 8.0 assists and 8.0 rebounds to carry the team on his back.