Murray's 16-for-16 night at line lifts Nuggets in Game 1 win - ESPN

DENVER — Jamal Murray has established himself as an elite playoff performer since the Denver Nuggets' title window began in 2023, but his best moments have generally come late in games with clutch shot-making.

In Saturday night's 116-105 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series, Murray was devastating from the free throw line, making all 16 of his attempts to break a franchise record, on his way to a game-high 30 points.

«I thought I got fouled on every single one of them,» Murray said afterward. «I don't know what everybody's talking about. [They were] real fouls.»

The Nuggets made 30 of their 33 free throws on the day, which was critical because they shot 1-for-17 behind the 3-point arc in the second half and easily could've given back all of the 15-point lead they'd built up in the third quarter.

Instead, Denver held on for a gritty win at home to take a 1-0 lead in the series, the eighth time they've taken a lead in nine series openers since 2023. Denver went on to win six of the seven previous series in which they took Game 1.

In a rivalry that has been as close as Nuggets vs. Timberwolves — the teams have played each other more times the past three years than any other two teams in the league — every edge matters. After taking Game 1, Denver holds a 15-14 record against Minnesota in the regular season and playoffs since 2023.

That past has served as a fascinating prologue for this series, which both sides expect to be a taut battle once again.

«The first game everybody's got so much adrenaline,» Murray said. «Everybody's excited. Everybody's a little bit nervous. Some butterflies, which is human. I go back and I look at all my Game 1s that I've played and I just