Jamal Murray of the Denver team grabbed a pass that went astray from the Minnesota side near the sideline. He adjusted his position carefully to stay in bounds, then launched a long shot from 55 feet away just before the first half ended.
Murray took a moment to concentrate before making his shot from behind the half-court line. The ball flew towards the basket and went in perfectly, making a swishing sound as it went through the net. Murray struck a pose in front of the broadcasting table to celebrate.
Teammate Aaron Gordon praised Murray’s shot, saying it boosted the team’s morale knowing their point guard was playing well. Gordon himself scored 25 points with an impressive 12-for-13 shooting performance in the 115-107 victory over the Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals.
As the TV announcer, Kevin Harlan, excitedly described the unlikely shot, Murray’s teammates rushed over to congratulate him for giving them a 15-point lead at halftime. However, Nikola Jokic, the star player, missed the celebration as he claimed he was already heading to the locker room to rest.
Murray’s shot was a significant moment for the defending champions, giving them a considerable advantage. Murray himself described the shot as feeling good right from the moment he released it. Despite only having four points before that shot, he finished the game with 19 points.
The Nuggets scored eight consecutive points in the final 20 seconds of the second quarter to hold off a comeback attempt by the home team, who had reduced the deficit to seven points with a 3-pointer by Anthony Edwards.
After Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made a 3-pointer, Edwards lost possession of the ball while driving into the lane. Michael Porter Jr. then scored with a fast-break dunk after receiving a pass from Nikola Jokic.
Finally, Murray capitalized on a pass from Nickeil Alexander-Walker to Jaden McDaniels to conclude a strong first half for the Nuggets.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch expressed frustration with his team’s performance during that segment, stating that they had been making progress in getting back into the game.
