Jamal Murray's 22-year-old nonsense game 2 is a sign of Nuggets' future celebrity | Bleacher's report

There is still much to do in this first-round series with the Spurs, who had a double-digit lead in games 1 and 2. It would be a mistake to say that the Nuggets are clear. But Murray's eruption, which included eight straight games after a 0-8 start on the field, looked like something bigger than a single late-game takeover.

For starters, it was a study on the power of trust. Because you have to be sure to take pictures like this while you are looking at a 0-2 hole against a # 7 seed:

Murray made exceptionally difficult shots during his incendiary run – shots that players get at the bench for attempting to do. As a result of his absence until the fourth quarter, many coaches would never have given him the chance to take those shots.

If the head coach of the Nuggets, Mike Malone, was diverted from Murray after his performance of 8 of 23 (0 of 6 in depth) in the first game, that would have been understandable. And if Malone had relied instead on Gary Harris, who scored 23 points out of 10 shots on 16 in the second game, or Malik Beasley, who warmed during the two competitions of this series, no one would have put questioned.

But Malone seemed to understand that there was more at stake:

This broad spectrum approach is rarely used in the win-win environment of post-season basketball. But much of the immediate reaction to Murray's explosion seemed to apply a similar vision to the situation as a whole.

It's easy to become hyperbolic when you just watch someone ignite the nets for an entire quarter, but the consistent placement of Murray's efforts in a broader context seemed self-evident.

That's because the Nuggets are not an ordinary seed No. 2. Skepticism was attached to this young team even before the Spurs fell in Game 1 this weekend. This defeat validated the concerns of critics regarding the lack of experience of Denver and his incredibly deferential superstar, Nikola Jokic.

By grabbing the second match as a conventional star would – marking and scoring and striking – Murray quieted some of these doubts and offered a glimpse of the Denver ceiling.

Jokic is not ready for such a takeover. He is at first a smuggler and a talented scorer (at a breakneck pace) when needed. Since the emergence of Jokic, Denver badly needs a reliable high-volume gunner.

The first seven games in Murray's playoffs cancel the "reliable" game. Streaky could be the first word you would use to describe it. But he is barely 22 years old, and when a player is obviously as skilled and not afraid of the present moment, trusting natural development to produce more highs and lows seems to be a safe bet.

And if Murray uses this performance as a stepping stone, his association with Jokic could turn the Nuggets into something special.

You can see some of it on Tuesday, while Jokic was doing everything in his power to make his teammate's job easier. Jokic only attended one of Murray's fourth quarter buckets, but he was mounting the screens, looking for transfers and moving away.

Bart Young / Getty Images

It's odd to imagine Jokic, an NBA talent with 21 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. in the second match, as a teammate. He is better than that. But Jokic's game revolves around subtlety and skill. He exploits weaknesses with his past and his patience. He distinguishes the weaknesses of the defense with precision and cunning. He operates with a scalpel, but sometimes feels that he feels sick at the sight of blood.

Murray is the indispensable butcher of the Nuggets. He reveled in the destruction of defense by bold and aggressive attacks.

Murray needed a decisive moment to qualify for the playoffs and Denver needed it before a trip to San Antonio for two games that could have ended his season if the second match had not taken place as he it has been.

But back to this big picture: Murray's role in the victory illustrated what this team could become.

With young teams like Denver, you are focusing on the ceiling. You ask what is possible if everything happens over a period of three or four years.

If this version of Murray appears a little more often, it is difficult to understand the long-term benefits of the Nuggets. He then fills a precise and decisive emptiness in the makeup of the team when he goes away like that. It allows Jokic to be himself and other actors to organize around a punch.

It simply makes it clearer.

Yes, consistency will matter. Murray would not have needed to ignite to save Denver if it had been lukewarm rather than icy earlier in the game. But do not minimize the moment.

The arrival of Murray could double the takeoff of Denver after a successful multi-year.