Jamal Murray makes statement as Nuggets wallop Suns in Game 1

Jamal Murray Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Nuggets' Jamal Murray makes statement in impressive Game 1 win over Suns

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 4/30/23

Jamal Murray led the Denver Nuggets to a 125-107 victory over the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Saturday.

After his team's emphatic win, Murray reminded his doubters that he was ready to make an impact in a series full of stars.

"I don't know how many times I got to prove myself for y'all to believe in my game or believe in what I do or my health or whatever it is," Murray told TNT's, Kenny Smith. "I can only keep doing it and keep trending and prove everybody wrong."

Murray led all scorers in Game 1, finishing with 34 points while shooting 13-of-24 from the floor and 6-of-10 from beyond the arc. He added nine assists and five rebounds.

Jamal Murray. Built for this.

34 PTS
5 REB
9 AST
6 3PM

Nuggets take Game 1 pic.twitter.com/Kxep6mcuU2
— NBA (@NBA) April 30, 2023

Alongside Murray, Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon also pulled their weight in the win.

Jokic finished the night with 24 points and grabbed a game-high 19 boards while dishing out five assists. For his part, Gordon scored 23 points with six rebounds against the Suns.

One person on the court who wasn't caught off guard by Murray and the Nuggets' performance in Game 1 was Kevin Durant.

Speaking with reporters, Durant said, "Hell No," when asked if the Nuggets' effort surprised the Suns.

"They're the number one seed for a reason," Durant said via the NBA. "They got a two-time MVP. They got a deep team. No, I'm not surprised. They can go off and win games. We got our work cut out for us."

Murray and the Nuggets will look to jump ahead of the Suns 2-0 in the best-of-seven series when they host Phoenix for Game 2 Monday at 10 p.m. ET.

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