Late in Friday’s loss to the Mavericks, a moment highlighted the kind of season Jamal Murray has been having.
With the Nuggets trailing by two in the final seconds, Murray attempted to intentionally miss his second free throw, hoping for an offensive rebound from himself, Nikola Jokic, or DeAndre Jordan to tie the game. However, his line-drive shot unexpectedly hit the backboard and went in.
“The whole game I’m trying to make it,” Murray explained. “I’m trying to miss just one time… sometimes that’s just how it goes.”
Heading into Monday’s matchup with the Knicks, Murray is on track to finish with his lowest career shooting percentages—under 40% from the field and under 80% from the free-throw line. His 34.6% from beyond the arc would equal his worst mark since his rookie year. Despite these struggles, Murray emphasized that physically, he’s feeling fine after a calf strain affected him last postseason and during the Olympics.
“I’m doing good. Staying even-keel. When I’ve had good games in the past, I just try to stay level-headed. Same when I’m in a slump,” Murray said. “It’s tough. Sometimes you get great looks, and they don’t fall. It’s frustrating, but it’s a mental game now for me.”
Defenders have been more aggressive with Murray, especially in his two-man game with Jokic. As a result, he’s had only one game this season where he’s shot better than 50% from the field—against Miami, where he went 9-for-17 and scored a season-high 28 points.
“We’ve got to find a way, and I have to find a way, to help Jamal get going,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone on Friday.