“I Used to Watch Michael Jordan Growing up”: Jamal Murray Reveals Inspiration Behind His Jaw-Dropping Transition Layup Over Kevin Durant in Game 1

Jamal Murray hit a layup in transition last night over Kevin Durant that reminded many old-timers of Michael Jordan. His hang-time, deftness and dexterity to be able to execute that move were quite breathtaking.

The Denver Nuggets ran riot in their home game against the Suns in Game 1 last night. Durant and Co kept pace in the first quarter but were blown out by 18 points in the second quarter itself.

They managed to bring the deficit back to 10 points at the start of the 4th quarter. However, the Nuggets went on a 16-3 run to close the door on Phoenix emphatically with over 5 minutes remaining. This particular layup was the highlight of the sequence.

Jamal Murray attributes his circus shot finish to watching a lot of Michael Jordan footage

Murray lit up the opening night of the series with a dominant 34-point display. He made 6 3-pointers in the game, 13 of his 24 overall shots and added 9 assists.

He was a walking mismatch and a nightmare to guard for the 37-year-old Chris Paul all night long. Jamal reiterated his playoff credentials with this particular outing once again, proving to be the Nuggets’ offensive engine.

In the post-game interview, Jamal chalked up the aforementioned play to watching a ton of old footage. Especially that of Jordan, who’d retired from the Wizards when Murray was 6 years old.

“I used to watch a lot of Michael Jordan growing up.” Murray said. He joked that it was a bit easier to finish on a smooth backboard as opposed to the rough surfaces he trained on with his dad as a kid.

Murray is rising to the playoff stage once again

Jamal Murray is currently playing in his 3rd playoff campaign so far. His run at the DisneyWorld bubble in Orlando was a detonation of historic proportions.

Murray shot 50% from the field, 45% on 3-pointers and 89.7% on free throws while averaging a whopping 26.5 points and 6.6 assists per game. It was regarded as a landmark playoff performance and a step up in his graph.

Though he lost 2 playoff years due to an ACL tear, the 26-year-old is arguably at the peak of his powers now. His stats through 6 games in this year’s postseason bear that out – 28.3 ppg at 48.4% from the field, 46.2% on 3-pointers and 91.7% on free throws.