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On Thursday night, Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets will play in the NBA Finals for the first time. As they prepare to face off against the Miami Heat, here is a breakdown of how the star guard played against them this year.
Fresh off of missing last season due to an ACL injury, Jamal Murray missed some time during the regular season. Among the 17 games he sat out was one of Denver's two matchups against Miami.
The one time Murray did face off against the Heat was at the end of December. While his team walked away with a win, he did not perform so well.
In 33 minutes of action, he posted a box score of 14 points, two rebounds, and six assists. Murray shot 4-9 from the field and 1-3 from beyond the arc in the five-point win.
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Murray might not have performed well against Miami in the regular season, but that could change in the NBA Finals. Throughout the playoffs, he has put together a string of stellar performances alongside Nikola Jokic. So far this postseason, Murray is averaging 27.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.1 assists.
How has Jamal Murray performed against the Miami Heat in the past?
Looking at his entire career, the Miami Heat is a team that has been able to contain Jamal Murray. This could be an interesting development to keep an eye on once the NBA Finals get underway.
During his six years in the league, Murray has faced off against the Heat nine times. In those matchups, he averaged 13.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. Among all teams in the league, Murray has his lowest career PPG against Miami.
This is not great news for the Denver Nuggets as they look to capture their first title in franchise history. If they are going to take down the Heat, they'll need Murray to keep performing at a high level.
Murray is going to have his work cut out for him in the Finals as Miami's defense is going to focus on him. On top of that, their top perimeter defenders will likely be assigned to him. This means he could be seeing a lot of Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, and the Heat's zone that they've made famous.
If there was ever a time for Murray to end his slump against Miami, now would be the time.
