Murray went 16-for-16 at the free-throw line, accounting for more than half of his point total. His perfect 16 attempts at the line helped Denver overcome Minnesota’s early edge in the paint and contributed significantly to the lopsided 33-19 free-throw advantage for the Nuggets.
Finch did not hold back on the officiating, calling Murray’s 16 freebies a “head-scratcher” and saying the defense was physical and vertical but that Murray initiated contact and “spills away and gets rewarded for it.” The coach also extended the critique to Nikola Jokic, suggesting the star center draws similar calls while urging better discipline around those plays.
Nikola Jokic contributed a 25-point, 13-rebound, 11-assist triple-double, shooting 11-for-19 from the floor and hitting two of seven from three. He did not rely on free throws, attempting just one over 40 minutes, a sharp contrast to some of Minnesota’s previous showdowns with the Nuggets.
Throughout the series history against Minnesota, Jokic has shown varied free-throw volume, with a notable earlier Christmas Day matchup in which he attempted 23 free throws and scored 26 of his points from the stripe. In Game 1 this series, Jokic’s impact came more from the field as he complemented Murray’s scoring.
The Nuggets moved to 1-0 in the series after Saturday’s win and will look to carry the momentum into Game 2, which is set for Monday. Denver has had success against Minnesota this season, and the win gave them a timely start to the playoff matchup.
