The Pepsi Center erupted on Thursday night as Jamal Murray delivered what may be the single greatest individual performance of the entire 2025-26 NBA season. The Denver Nuggets guard was absolutely possessed against the Dallas Mavericks, dropping a staggering 53 points on 19-of-28 shooting from the field, including a sizzling 9-of-14 from three-point range, while going a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Denver won the game 142-135, and the scoreline barely tells the story of what Murray did on that basketball court.
The efficiency numbers behind the performance are almost incomprehensible. Murray shot 67.9 percent from the field, 64.3 percent from three, and posted an effective field goal percentage of 83.9 percent. His true shooting percentage for the night was 86.5 percent. These are not numbers from a video game. These are real, verified, documented numbers from a man who was simply playing a different sport than everyone else on the floor for large stretches of the evening. He also added 6 rebounds and 4 assists to his monster scoring night, contributing across the stat sheet while still carrying the bulk of Denver’s offensive load.
The Nuggets led by as many as 13 points during the game and never truly allowed the Mavericks to feel comfortable despite a Dallas team that was fighting hard throughout. Murray was at his most lethal in the fast break situations, converting 5-of-5 fast break attempts and scoring 14 of his points in transition, punishing the Mavericks every time they turned the ball over.
For Dallas, Cooper Flagg put together a genuinely impressive all-around game with 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists on 55.6 percent shooting, and P.J. Washington contributed a double double with 19 points and 15 rebounds. But there was simply nothing the Mavericks could do to slow Murray when he was making shots from absolutely everywhere on the floor with no hesitation and no miss in his eyes.
The performance puts Murray firmly in the conversation for the most memorable individual game of this NBA season, and serves as a reminder that when this man is locked in, there are very few players in basketball capable of producing what he produces. Denver improves with the win, continuing their charge in a tightly contested Western Conference. As for Murray, he looked at the Dallas defense all night, smiled, and simply did not miss. An all-time performance. Remember where you were.
