Nuggets guard Jamal Murray scores 35 in loss to Trail Blazers
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The gist
Nuggets All-Star guard Jamal Murray scored 35 points, but Denver lost 118-110 to Portland at home.
Murray has averaged 31.6 points over five games since a rough opener.
Background
Jamal Murray is the Denver Nuggets' All-Star point guard, a 29-year-old who averaged career highs of 25.8 points, 7.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 2025-26 and was named an All-Star reserve for the first time for the Feb. 15, 2026 game. He signed a four-year, $208 million extension in September 2024. His scoring surge is drawing attention while Denver has opened 2026-27 unevenly, which has also fed speculation about his future with the team.
How it unfolded
- Oct 30, 2026Murray scored 39 points on 18 shots in the Nuggets' 127-120 win against Phoenix.
- Nov 2, 2026Murray scored 35 points (10-19 FG, 11-11 FT) with five rebounds and six assists, but Denver lost 118-110 to Portland at Ball Arena and fell to 3-3. He scored 20 of those points in the first half.
- Nov 6, 2026SI's Buy or Sell column, noting Denver is 4-3 and has won three of its last four, gives a 'Sell' verdict on the idea the Nuggets trade Murray this season.
Key terms
- All-Star
- A player selected to play in the NBA's annual All-Star Game, which showcases the league's star players.
- trade candidate
- A league-set date after which teams may no longer exchange players during a season.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Teammate
- Nikola Jokic said Murray is making shots, playing aggressively and making good decisions, and that the team loves what it sees.
- Analysts
- NBA insider Zach Lowe said on his podcast that if the Nuggets have more trouble this season, Murray could become a trade candidate.
- Caution
- SI writer Logan Struck's 'Sell' verdict argues breaking up the Jokic-Murray tandem isn't a likely Denver move and trading Murray's $50 million salary would be difficult.
- Self
- Murray said after the Portland loss that he could have done more and that everyone can look in the mirror and be better.
Still unverified
Zach Lowe's suggestion that Murray could become a trade candidate is a podcast opinion; SI's column argues against it and reports no actual trade move.