Look out, Minnesota: Jamal Murray is back, and the Nuggets may be too

Jamal Murray is back. 

With his Denver Nuggets dealingwith a sheer and traditionally unrecoverable 3-0 series hole in the 2nd round versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, Murray advised everybody why he’s thoughtabout one of the leading postseason entertainers in the NBA.

Murray opened Game 3 by scoring 18 points in the veryfirst half on 8-for-13 shooting, a enormous turn-around from the frustrating combined 2 points he scored in the initially cutsinhalf of Games 1 and 2 on 1-for-15 shooting. 

Murray put the rising Timberwolves on their heels, making sure the safeguarding champs weren’t going to be swept out of the playoffs en path to a 117-90 win in which they led by as much as 34 points.

For Murray, it was a much-needed strong efficiency following an uncharacteristic set of videogames this series. 

In Game 1, he had 17 points on 6-for-14 shooting. Things got evenworse in Game 2, with him endingup with a woeful 8 points on 3-for-18 shooting, with his disappointment boiling over to the point that he tossed a towel and a heating pad in the instructions of a referee, leading to him being slapped with a $100,000 fine. 

Murray revealed a totally various type of focus in Game 3, putting in 24 points on 11-for-21 shooting, while getting 4 rebounds and 5 helps. 

There were numerous emphasize plays. 

He made a reverse layup over 3 protectors. He took the ball from Anthony Edwards and endedup with a one-handed jam on the other end. He crossed over Karl-Anthony Towns and swished a stepback jumper.

While Murray impressed in the Nuggets’ initially round playoff series versus the Los Angeles Lakers, consistingof making 2 game-winning shots, he has enormously  hadahardtime giventhat. 

His postseason averages have dropped from 26.1 points on 47.3 percent shooting from the field and 39.6 percent from beyond the arc last year, to simply 20.4 points on 37.5 percent shooting and 28.6 percent from deep this time around. 

It’s clear Murray hadactually been obstructed by a left calf pressure. But with 4 days in inbetween Games 2 and 3, he hasactually gotten his rhythm back. 

Murray was sharp. He was aggressive. He was energetic. In other words, he lastly looked like himself in this series. 

And that implies the Nuggets can’t be counted out. 

Melissa Rohlin is an NBA author for FOX Sports. She formerly covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.