Jamal Murray responds to Shaq 'challenge' with 45-point bomb vs. Mavericks
Today at 09:24 PM
Jamal Murray has had a bit of a slow start to the 2024-25 season, and the national media has started to take notice. Not only have they taken notice, but some have even ‘called out’ the Denver Nuggets point guard.
Speaking during the TNT pregame show before the Nuggest 118-99 win over the Dallas Mavericks, Shaquille O’Neal singled out “Mr. Murray” for not showing up for his team.
“Mr. Murray, where have you been? I don’t know if you’re injured or not, so I’m not really going to go in,” said O’Neal. “I guarantee you this: Once you step up and play to the level that helped you get a championship, y’all will be champions again.”
"Mr. Murray, where have you been?" – Shaq in pregame
"If he plays like this, along with Westbrook & The Joker, they will be champions" – Shaq after Jamal dropped 32pts in H1 pic.twitter.com/zQ6ED6Xdeb
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 15, 2025
Jamal Murray explodes for 45-points vs. Mavericks
Murray did not hear O’Neal’s pregame challenge, but he still went off, dropping 45 points with two rebounds and six assists. He was also on fire from beyond the arc, going 5-for-9 from 3 point range.
Following the game, Murray was made aware of O’Neal’s comments, which encouraged him to “get to work.”
“He’s 100 percent right,” said Murray. “I need to play my best; I need to play better. I played terrible up until today, and I’ve struggled. It’s all about highs and lows and weathering storms. Just take this as a positive note and keep moving. You can’t get too high, you can’t get too low. Not just me, but we’re all looking to keep this going and keep this momentum going.”
The Nuggets themselves have faced a bit of a rollercoaster season. But for the past week, they seem to have hit a hot streak. Murray has been warming up, and Nikola Jokic continues to record triple-doubles on the regular.
With a dominant 118-99 win over the Mavericks, thanks to a massive performance from Murray, O’Neal made a bold proclamation following the game.
“When this guy is playing like this, the Denver Nuggets are unstoppable,” said O’Neal.
Should the Nuggets continue their hot streak, they’ll be getting hot at the right time. Sitting fourth in the Western Conference, they’re within reach of the second and third seeds. But Wednesday will be their next big test against the Houston Rockets, who sit second in the Western Conference.
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