Nuggets guard Jamal Murray records first NBA career triple-double

On Friday night, Jamal Murray recorded his first NBA career triple-double in the Denver Nuggets’ 134-111 win over the Indiana Pacers. The sixth-year guard joined Bruce Brown as the only non-Nikola Jokic Nuggets to log at least one triple-double in the Jokic era.

In Denver’s victory against the Pacers, Murray ended his outing with 17 points, 10 rebounds, 14 assists, and two steals in 30 minutes of action. He finished 4-of-8 (50%) shooting from the field, 7-of-7 (100%) at the foul line and knocked down two 3-pointers.

Referring to some NBA betting sites, the Nuggets have fourth-best odds to win the championship. A couple of sportsbooks are showing greater odds for the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and Brooklyn Nets.

Jamal Murray has his first career triple-double.

He gets props from the man with 90! pic.twitter.com/2yAxVBhBku

— NBA (@NBA) January 21, 2023

“I was just playing our game, playing aggressive,” Murray said after helping the Nuggets improve to 33-13, the Western Conference’s best record. “We were just having fun out there. The ball was hopping.”

Jokic was absent for last night’s matchup due to left hamstring tightness. “He steals a lot of my triple-doubles,” Murray joked about the top MVP favorite. “It was nice to finally get one on the board.”

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray records his first NBA career triple-double in a 134-111 win over the Pacers

On Nov. 23, Bruce Brown logged his first career triple-double in a 131-126 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 26-year-old amassed 17 points, 13 boards, 10 assists, and four steals in 45 minutes played.

Besides Jokic, Andre Iguodala is the only other Nuggets player to record a triple-double over the last 10 seasons. In Denver’s 96-86 victory versus the San Antonio Spurs on April 10, 2013, Iguodala posted 12 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, and three steals in 44 minutes.

Additionally, Denver improved its home win streak to 16 games. The Nuggets have not lost at Ball Arena since Dec. 6 against the Dallas Mavericks. While Murray still played phenomenal, other accomplishments were achieved against Indiana.

16 dunks in a game, the most since 1996-97 for the Denver Nuggets.

38 assists, a new season high.

16 steals, a new season high.

Jamal Murray, first career triple-double 17/10/14.

What a fun game at Ball Arena.

— Katy Winge (@katywinge) January 21, 2023

The Nuggets finished with season highs of 38 assists and 16 steals. Also, Denver ended this interconference matchup with a total of 16 dunks, the most for the Western Conference contender since the 1996-97 season.

Moreover, Nuggets coach Michael Malone remains out for the time being after entering the league’s health and safety protocols. Denver acting head coach David Adelman is now 3-0 during Malone’s absence.

“It was really fun to see our guys continue to play the way we play regardless of who’s on the court,” Adelman said. “It was fun because a lot of guys contributed. Those are special nights.”

Adelman was most impressed by Murray’s effort. Without Jokic, the team never lost a beat. Murray’s 10 rebounds and 14 assists were seasons highs. “He’s already had such a storied career here as a Nugget and everything he’s been through,” added Adelman. “So, it’s very cool to see that.”