On a night where he was questionable to play ahead of tip-off, Jamal Murray ultimately ended up suiting up and scoring 52 points – coming up just four points shy of surpassing his career high. 

Murray’s stellar night helped propel the Denver Nuggets to a 135-120 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 3. 

The Nuggets’ guard spoke about the win and his performance during a postgame interview, citing the team’s defense leading to its ensuing offensive attack.

“The defense fuels the offense,” Murray said. “I know when we’re in the half court, we execute well, we share the ball, we’re unselfish, we cut, we move, make shots, guys come in the game ready to play. I think the difference with us is when we play defense, we can add to that."

"And on top of that, stop the other team from scoring. So it’s a double-edged sword, and once we figure that out, we’ll be really good.”

Murray shot lights out en route to his 52-point tally. He finished 19-for-25 from the field and 10-for-11 from 3-point range. 

“Keep shooting,” Murray said, reflecting on the mentality he has during high-scoring nights. “You’re doing this so long, there’s nothing to overthink. We’re just playing and having fun. There’s nothing to overthink. It’s the opposite. I’m not thinking about anything.”

Murray's Strong Start 

On the season, Murray is averaging 24.7 points and 6.6 assists per game. Against the Pacers, he even grabbed six rebounds in addition to his scoring efforts. 

Murray has long proven to be the perfect counterpart to his running mate Nikola Jokić – who is averaging a triple-double this season, but over a month into the 2025-26 NBA season, their impact as a duo on a nightly basis feels more heightened than ever. 

And that impact will be leaned on more and more as Denver continues to make do without two of their typical starters in Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon, who are dealing with injuries. 

The Nuggets’ next three games are on the road against the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, and Sacramento Kings, as Denver will look to close out its four-contest road trip that started last night in Indianapolis. 

Tip-off against the Hawks, who are 13-10 on the young season, is set for 7:30 p.m. EST on Dec. 5. 

The Nuggets will take their 15-6 record into Atlanta and hope to string together some wins like they did during that seven-game winning streak they sustained last month from Nov. 3 to Nov. 15.