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Jamal Murray says ‘being in LA’ was the reason Nuggets were embarrassed by Knicks
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Jamal Murray says ‘being in LA’ was the reason Nuggets were embarrassed by Knicks

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said his team wasn’t focused after Denver was blown out by the Knicks, 145-118, on their home floor Monday.

During his post-game press conference, Murray seemed to hint that some players were having too much fun in Los Angeles after a 127-102 win over the Lakers on Saturday.

“It’s a long season. Guys have a life outside of basketball,” Murray said. “We just beat LA in LA. We have some guys who live in LA, so we stayed in LA. Like I said, I don’t think everyone had the focus, and that’s what happens when you don’t have the focus.

“Like I said, it’s not the coach’s fault, it’s not the actions we play, it’s not the fault of anyone other than the guys on the field. So it’s hard to go back and watch or even accept. But the expectation was that if that’s the kind of energy that that whole team brings to start the game and continually has no response, then that’s what happens. We have been on the other side. I’ve been on the other side and tonight we were on the wrong side.”

Murray later walked back the part about “some guys” and said he was also staying with the team in Los Angeles.

“We were all staying in LA btw! and had a great win,” Murray wrote on X. “I’m not ruling myself out guys, we didn’t play together tonight.”

Before that, the All-Star guard had not posted on X since August.

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said his team wasn’t focused after Denver was blown out by the New York Knicks 145-118 on their home floor on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. X

Nuggets coach Mike Malone, who dropped an F-bomb and banged the table during his postgame news conference, said his team was embarrassed by the Knicks.

“No, f–k that,” Malone said when asked if Denver would “flush” that game and move on. “We’re not blushing. You don’t flush if you’re embarrassed, you don’t flush if you’ve given up 145 points, you don’t flush if you haven’t played hard, if you haven’t played with effort, if you haven’t played with physicality. I don’t flush anything.”

Nikola Jokic #15 and Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets look on during the game against the New York Knicks on November 25, 2024. NBAE via Getty Images
Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets drives to the basket during the game against the New York Knicks on November 25, 2024 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. NBAE via Getty Images

There was no stopping the Knicks’ offense, which shot 60.9 percent from the floor.

Knicks forward OG Anunoby scored a career-high 40 points, while All-Star guard Jalen Brunson had 23 points to go with a career-best 17 assists.

Brunson went on a heater in the first quarter as he scored nine straight points for New York.

The Nuggets fell to 5-4 at home this season.

Denver faces the Jazz in Utah on Wednesday.