Jamal Murray puts up 43 as Nuggets take 3-2 lead vs. Clippers - ESPN

DENVER — Jamal Murray has broken the hearts of the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs so many times, he figured it was time to do the same to the LA Clippers. This time it wasn't a back-breaking buzzer-beater, but a barrage of brilliant shotmaking that paced the Denver Nuggets to a 131-115 win over Los Angeles in Game 5 of the best-of-seven first-round series Tuesday night at Ball Arena.

Murray scored a game-high 43 points on 17-of-26 shooting, his sixth career playoff game of 40 or more points, as Denver took a 3-2 series lead. Game 6 will be Thursday evening in Los Angeles.

Murray's eight 3-pointers gave him his third playoff game with eight 3s, fifth most in NBA postseason history behind Klay Thompson (who has six) and Damian Lillard, Ray Allen and Stephen Curry (who all have four).

«These big moments, these situations. He was born for this,» Nuggets coach David Adelman said. «You can kind of tell the way the ball comes off his hand on certain nights. I thought he had a great lift on his jump shot. ...When it's flowing like that, it's the guy that's won us so many playoff games in the past.»

Murray came into the playoffs nursing a hamstring injury that caused him to miss six games but has played himself back into peak form right as the Nuggets seem to be finding their championship swagger following the shocking firings of longtime head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth with just three games remaining in the regular season.

«This is really what it's about,» Murray said. «Just coming down, playing hard and everybody trying to be on the same page with whatever we're trying to accomplish. Tonight I think we did a really good job of just covering for each other throughout the game. Even when they went