In the first round against the Lakers, Jamal Murray scored 22 points in 39 minutes of play, and he won his duel with D'Angelo Russell, limited to 6 of 20 shots. Except that the Nuggets leader missed more shots than his opponent: 15, for a 9 out of 24!
For the main concerned, there is nothing to worry about, and you just have to get used to the pressure of the playoffs. “There is just more energy and we push a little more on the shots” explains Murray. “I remember last year in the first game against Minnesota it was the same type of thing. You feel so much energy or adrenaline through your body, that sometimes you just have to relax and shoot like you do in training. »
Take the rhythm
Author of a 9 out of 22 on shots during Game 1 of last season, Murray was not the only one to be in trouble on shots at the start of the match, since it was the entire team which put time to get into the match and find the target. An example with 3-point skill: 6 out of 23 in the first half. Returning to the locker room allowed us to “relax and shoot like in training” in Murray's words.
“It has an overall influence on your attitude and your state of mind,” continues the Canadian. “ You can rush your shot and misplace your support. We can still score, but I felt like I was rushing my shot at the start of the match. It was just that I was too eager to see him come home. Last year it was the same thing against Minnesota. I had to wait until the second half to score a few.”
For Game 2, the Nuggets will have to adjust the sights from the start because the Lakers will not waste a 12-point lead for the second game in a row.
