ESPN reacts to Jamal Murray returns, KCP scores season-high 24 as Nuggets destroy Hawks 142-110

the Denver Nuggets welcome back Jamal Murray tonight and they just pulverized the Atlanta Hawks 142 110 nuggets 54th win which is one more than last season the championship season welcome to the Toyota locker room report Vic Lombardi Bill hansy Chris Dempsey order restored when Jamal is back in the lineup you just saw a different Rhythm off you know I I thought he was fabulous I I expected a little more wrinkles in his game you know got to get everything ironed out a little bit Jamal 21 minutes 16 points six assists made six out 11 two for four from three-point line Dems he was just really good yeah he was and this is why I never had a worry about him you know and and I know conditioning and getting back into the shape that you want to be as a thing but it didn't matter when this guy stepped on onto the basketball court he was going to do this and the best scenario for the Nuggets Is Not only was he able to do this in 21 minutes but he only had to play 21 minutes the minute restriction probably didn't even come into play here because the game was such a blowout um so uh everything's great all around more and Jamal in a moment here first let's take a look at the health One Standings update the Denver Nuggets with that Victory moved back into first place half game ahead of Minnesota they control their own fate remember Minnesota comes to town Wednesday night that's a second game of a back toback for the Nuggets Utah Tuesday Minnesota Wednesday OKC's on a bit of a losing streak so we'll see where they end up it's been tight all season long boys hands OKC I think OKC has to watch out here you know if they have designs on the number one seed I don't think they can lose again uh to be able to get that uh for the nuggets as you said they control their own destiny and um you know for that game against Minnesota both teams will be coming off it'll be the second of a back toback for both teams so which one of those two teams is going to muster up the energy uh to be able to get but they both have to travel nuggets have to travel from Utah Minnesota will be coming from Minneapolis so that'll be very interesting to see what unfolds there uh back to Jamal Murray 21 minutes in his return he made his jumpers he got to his spots he also finished with uh six assists in the game Jamal Murray tonight that is textbook Jamal Murray I mean if you give him more minutes hits all of his numbers he yeah it was just fun to watch how things evolve and Creator he had a couple passes The Joker That Got Away there little timing thing but but when the plays were in Rhythm oh man was he good yeah and it's just demonstrated that from all three levels right we saw just in that in that package of highlights which was you know you got the curl around hit the three uh you have the mid-range off the off offscreen mid-range you have the break your man down and get straight to the rim uh it's it's you need that in your offense all the time and you you know one other thing he did remember that block shot he had some drove to get it out of here muray did and he he shot fellas you talk what a difference a a game makes in Los Angeles the Nuggets bench was held to nine points tonight 58 of them the Futures in your hands presented by The Ball Corporation 58 points are you kidding me yeah now some of that cuz they got a lot of minutes cuz the starters didn't have to play but they may look at that 23 of 37 8 of 16 off the Ben I mean Reggie phenomenal justtin holiday had five assists just there PW what he have five blocks he had five blocks yeah and the first five Off the Bench all wearing the white headbands tonight yeah yeah yeah which I promise you they'll be in those white headbands again in Utah uh the next game but look you know uh part of it is now Reggie Jackson's back on as a reserve and he led the bench with 18 points I mean right off the top you're getting 18 points from him uh and then Julian stra uh excuse me uh pyton Watson the 13 points are Just Energy points you hear Han say this all the time when he puts energy on the court defensively translates offensively for him as well I think that's exactly what was the case here today and then everybody else sloted in as well and a career-high five swats from pton swatson tonight H home from Nicole yic right he didn't play the entire fourth quarter didn't need to cuz he got his triple double in the third quarter again 19 14 11 and a couple steals Joker you know whatever Atlanta hit their first three Joker came down we'll just counteract that we'll make a three and then it was game over from there nuggets just rolled some of those passions againsts are just so good Atlanta choose chose to double him team him often and he made him payt now was so many two-point but three-point makes yeah three-point makes and and and all the passing you know it's and the the the double teaming was it was slow it was kind of indecisive Atlanta got caught in between a lot and the nuggets made him pay um but we did say this at the beginning of this which was Jamal Murray's also his presence also takes so much pressure off of uh Nicole yic he took 13 shots today you know like that that's not something he could have gotten away with without Jamal Murray because they need him to be a volume he he had big minutes he had to play while Jamal was out and he had to shoot it a lot more than probably he wanted to he likes getting other guys involved and then at the right time take really good 130 career triple doubles for Joker now only four shy of Magic Johnson so he is catching up hurry let's check out our Sports Wagers tonight compliments how did you do D well the Nuggets were big time favorit so D's got that right right and but as far as the leading score D thought it was going to be deante Murray he finished last on that list actually but who would have ever predicted the leading score in the game tonight would be kcp with 24 season High yeah I wouldn't have predicted that and on this list Michael Porter was the leader on this list too so uh what a day yeah you never know sports right what a day you know that over under that's coach 233 who won the game uh Yukon Yukon won so it's Yukon Purdue in the final Y and you got South Carolina versus uh Iowa in the other final who do you like I tell you what man I'm not just saying this cuz I am a girl dad but it's been so much fun watching the this women's tournament think about that man like some of the talent I mean everybody talks about Caitlyn Clark rightfully so but Paige Don Staley's team is just I think they're a brand new starting five and they're undefeated juu Watkins oh my goodness I mean the the women's game is alive and well and uh have had a lot of uh taken a lot of enjoyment and the fact that like the entire locker room is talking about was that a foul was that not a foul I love that like the viewership it's that's really that's really really great for those girls they deserve all of that I don't know who's going to win South Carolina's loaded but you know you never put anything past Caitlyn Clark and her teammates let's talk about tonight's game you won the game let's talk about this one yeah it was a good win obviously uh 23 May 3 is I believe a season high and 38 assist you know those those two numbers go hand in hand uh that was fun to watch uh plus n in the glass uh and our bench you know can't say enough good things about our bench tonight 58 bench points and from beginning to end um you know even the guys that Clos those guys were playing at a high level so uh and Nia oh yeah gets another triple double but a good win for us four games to go and um know now we got to go on the road and try to get one in Utah cp's over 50% from three now in the last 11 or 12 games what's working for him and what's sort of getting him into the rhythms that he's been in well I I think it speaks to one him him being a great shooter staying ready putting the time in uh but also you look at the quality of looks I that's what I think is most important is and when we struggled a few games since the All-Star break and making shots it wasn't like we were getting bad looks we just were not making open and wide open looks and I think he's getting tremendous uh looks from his teammates and he's just stepping in shooting it with great confidence he's one of the best Shooters in the league um and again when you have 38 assists on 53 made field goals uh the ball is flying and guys are really trying to get their teammates the best shot possible how sick was Reggie for any wearing a mask on the sideline and then he bounces back with 18 5 and three and really Balan that well I I have to give him a lot of credit man um because I didn't think he was going to play and I I made sure I did not give him many daps the whole night I gave my elbow the whole night I'm trying to stay healthy here Matt um but I didn't think he was going to play for him to go out there and get 185 and three and shoot the way he did in 24 minutes um is just amazing and and a testament his a testament to his toughness and that allows us I think obviously Aaron didn't play but having Jamal start guess Reggie back with that second unit more of a natural order to things for us and it was great to have Jamal Murray back um and I was really thankful I didn't have to put him back in he's on a manye restriction and I just told there Steve short I said listen man you can't give me any crap tonight I kept him well below his minute restriction so uh but it's really good to have Jamal Murray and Zeke nji back after having both missed you know an extended period of Time how did you feel like Jamal looked physically out there and and do you think you'll keep him on that restriction probably for the rest of the regular season or or ramp it up a little B yeah I think probably you know in the the same ballpark as we had tonight um obviously he didn't he didn't come close to reaching that uh the minute restriction which is a good thing um but yeah we'll keep an eye on it we want to be smart we want him back we want him getting a rhythm because it's not like it used to be the season ended on a Wednesday night and you were playing on Saturday the way it is now you you finished you got a week off and so that's why I think it's really important for Jamal to play and find a rhythm I thought he was pretty good offensively and I think defensively in that third quarter Jamal and everyone else out there you know that was by far our worst defensive quarter um you know but then in the fourth quarter once again we we were able to uh lock up and and get stops and get out and the run five blocks for pton Watson six assists for Justin holiday just what do those guys bring Off the Bench for you tonight yeah Payton was a defensive player of the game you know five blocks six rebounds um and just some terrific effort place you know all over the place and and Justin holiday once again birthday boy and so goes out there three or three from the field knocks down two threes six assists so I I felt the whole night I just loved even Julian I just loved how our bench was playing they played with real good energy and they were attacking and the ball was moving and the pace in which they were playing with they they were a fun group to watch all night long so uh yeah but pton and Justin to your question Ryan I thought those guys were outstanding all right list downtown break presented by star lemon lime soda the official soft drink of the Denver Nuggets man that's a lot of xes and a lot of basketball 2033es is a season High man and they just sit that just like what last week last week it's Cleland for so here m for for for for for so she I