Jamal Murray shoulders the blame for Nuggets’ disappointing first round exit

The Denver Nuggets’ season came to an abrupt end Thursday night with a 110-98 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 6. The first-round elimination was Denver’s first since 2022, marking a disappointing end for a team that captured the franchise’s first championship just three years ago.

Following the elimination, point guard Jamal Murray didn’t shy away from taking accountability.

“It’s just on me. I’ve made enough shots where I get into my spots and am just unable to convert. That’s the frustrating part,” said Murray. “They’re playing good defense, playing physical, trying to chase me around. When I get the looks that I need, they don’t go down. That’s the frustrating part, just not showing up when my team needed me most tonight.”

Murray finished with 12 points on 4-for-17 shooting. He was 0-2 on three-pointers, with one of those missed threes being a potential game-tying shot late in the fourth. The Timberwolves’ defense was stifling, which had Murray struggling to find his usual offensive flow. His shots simply weren’t falling on a night where the Nuggets desperately needed them to.

“Jamal just had a tough (game),” Nuggets head coach David Adelman said. “I feel for him. Everybody who is here and watched us, I am sure they are going to kill Jamal Murray. But, we have seen what he can do in these games, and it just wasn’t his night.”

Murray has delivered countless clutch performances throughout his career, and he’ll likely have plenty more. Every player experiences tough shooting nights, but this one simply came at the worst possible time for Denver. With their season now over, the Nuggets may have some tough decisions to make in the offseason to help prevent another disappointing first-round exit like this.

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