Jamal Murray has been underperforming this season, with his scoring dropping to its lowest levels since the 2019-2020 season. Shaquille O’Neal had some sharp words for Murray ahead of tonight’s game between the Denver Nuggets and the Dallas Mavericks.
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“Mr. Murray, where have you been? I don’t know if you’re injured or not, so I’m not going to really go in, but I guarantee you this. Once you step up and play to the level to help you get a championship, y’all will be champions again,” the Lakers legend said before the game tipped off.
It seems the Nuggets guard took the criticism to heart, making it his mission to silence the TNT analyst. In a fiery response, the 27-year-old exploded for 32 points… in just the first half.
Shaq later explained the reason behind his initial comments. Shedding light on his mother’s wisdom, the big fella clarified that his criticism wasn’t unwarranted, noting the significant drop in Murray’s recent performances.
“She (Dr. Lucille O’Neal) called me at home one day being sad. I said, Mom, they always criticize me. I’m doing this, this, this. And she said, baby, before you let it get you down, see if there’s some truth inside the criticism.”
“He hasn’t been playing like Jamal Murray when they won the championship. Used to average 21. He’s only down two points, 19. Last five or six games, he’s had under 20 points,” Shaq said during the half-time show.
“Mr. Murray, where have you been?” – Shaq in pregame
“If he plays like this, along with Westbrook & The Joker, they will be champions” – Shaq after Jamal dropped 32pts in H1 pic.twitter.com/zQ6ED6Xdeb
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 15, 2025
The 6’4″ combo guard appeared to be in the same impressive form tonight that helped the Nuggets’ 2023 championship triumph. Per Shaq, if he can maintain this level of performance consistently, combined with Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook’s exceptional play, the Colorado side will have a strong chance to clinch the 2025 Larry O’Brien Trophy.
“He’s stepping up. If he plays like this, along with Westbrook and the Joker, they will be champions… When he’s playing like this, the Denver Nuggets cannot be stopped,” Shaq concluded.
Murray delivered a season-high 45-point performance, propelling the Arizona team to a dominant 118-99 victory at the American Airlines Center. This outing also secured Michael Malone’s squad a 3-1 win in the regular season series against the Mavericks, bringing them closer to the #3 spot in the Western Conference standings.
