King of the Fourth: Clutch Jamal Murray Draws Jordan and Iverson Comparisons

King of the Fourth: Clutch Jamal Murray Draws Jordan and Iverson Comparisons

Joel Reyes
updated at May 22, 2023 at 2:49 PM
  • Jamal Murray has the most playoff games where he scored 20 points in the fourth quarter
  • He accomplished the feat again in Game 2 of the Western Finals against the Lakers
  • Murray has drawn comparisons with Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson with his clutch plays

Jamal Murray came up clutch again.

He wreaked havoc in the fourth quarter of Game 2 on Thursday night to send the Lakers into a 0-2 hole in the Western Conference Finals.

Murray’s 23 points in the final 12 minutes of Game 2 brought up the Nuggets guard’s fourth career 20-point fourth quarter in the postseason.

Nikola Jokic, LeBron James, Jamal Murray, Anthony Davis, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, NBA Playoffs
Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets reacts to a play in front of Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals on May 20, 2023. Image: Harry How
Source: Getty Images

Only two other players have scored at least 20 points in the fourth quarter of an NBA playoff game over the last 30 years.

They are Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson, who did it twice in their illustrious careers.

Sports Brief looks at the playoff games where Murray caught fire and dropped 20 points in the final frame.

Nuggets vs Spurs Game 2 (2019)

The Nuggets treated Game 2 as a must-win contest after dropping the series opener against the Spurs.

Denver knew it can ill afford to lose its first two home games in the playoffs and head to San Antonio down 0-2.

Luckily for the Nuggets, Jamal Murray stepped up down the stretch after a slow start in Game 2.

He scored 21 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter to help Denver record a 114-105 victory over San Antonio and tie the series at 1-1, per ESPN.

Nuggets vs Jazz Game 4 (2020)

The Denver Nuggets headed into Game 4 down 2-1 in their playoff series against the Utah Jazz.

Jamal Murray tried his best to level the series, dropping a postseason franchise record 50 points against the Jazz.

He was red-hot from deep, draining a total of nine 3-pointers.

Murray scored 21 of his 50 points in the fourth quarter, but it still wasn’t enough to give Denver the victory.

The Nuggets suffered a heart-breaking 129-127 loss to go 3-1 down in the series against the Jazz.

Nuggets vs Jazz Game 6 (2020)

There is no quit with the Nuggets, who won the next two games to even the series at 3-3.

Jamal Murray dazzled in Game 6, recording another 50-piece against the Jazz.

He delivered when Denver needed him most, scoring 21 of his 50 points in the fourth quarter.

The Nuggets pulled off a 119-107 victory to force a winner-take-all Game 7.

Nuggets vs Lakers Game 2 (2023)

Murray had a sluggish start in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Lakers.

He scored 14 points through the first three quarters, shooting just 5 of 17 from the field.

Murray stepped it up a notch in the fourth quarter, scoring 23 of his 37 points in the final frame to help Denver record a thrilling 108-103 win, per CBS News.

He shot 6 of 7 from the field in the final 12 minutes of play, including 4 of 5 from beyond the arc.

Nuggets go 3-0 up

Sports Brief recently reported on the Nuggets taking a 3-0 series lead over the Lakers.

Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic powered Denver’s 119-108 victory in Game 3.

The Nuggets duo combined for 61 points in Saturday’s win against Los Angeles.

Authors
Joel Reyes photo
Joel Reyes
Joel Reyes is a sports editor at Sportsbrief.com with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of the Philippines. He has eight years of work experience in sports writing.