Jamal Murray catches fire as Denver Nuggets easily defeat Sacramento Kings

This matchup featured 2 of the most versatile big men in today’s game, as both Nikola Jokic and Domantas Sabonis lead the NBA in triple-doubles. However, it was Jamal Murray who stole the show, as he caught on fire and led the Denver Nuggets to a 117-96 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Ball Arena.

Despite starting off hot in the first quarter, the Kings fell apart as they were outscored 72-37 in the 2nd and 3rd quarter. At the start of the 4th period, the game was already out of hand as Denver held a 28-point lead.

Jamal Murray missed only 2 shots tonight, as he went 13/15 from the field and 5/6 from three for a total of 32 points. Nikola Jokic recorded another triple-double, finishing with 14 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists. Aaron Gordon scored 17 points on 7/8 shooting while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 16 points with 4 made triples. Michael Porter Jr. ended with 14 points.

The Kings were without De’Aaron Fox so Keegan Murray stepped up, scoring a team high 21 points while hitting 3 triples. Domantas Sabonis finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists while Malik Monk had 14 points. Chris Duarte scored 18 points off the bench while hitting 4 shots from beyond the arc.

This win improves the Nuggets to 40-19, which makes them 3rd in the Western Conference and 2 games behind the Timberwolves for the top seed. Every win is crucial for Denver, as they are fighting for a top spot so tonight was a huge step toward their end goal. They are 7-3 over their last 10 games and currently on a 4-game winning streak. Their next game will be tomorrow against the Miami Heat in a rematch of the 2023 NBA Finals.

Meanwhile, this loss drops the Kings to 33-25, which makes them 8th in the Western Conference. Sacramento is doing whatever they can to avoid the play-in as they are 1 game away from jumping up to the 6th seed, so losing tonight hugely affects them in a negative way. They are on a2-game losing streak and will get another tough test on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.