Murray’s 43 points lead Nuggets to 131-115 Game 5 win, 3-2 series lead vs. Clippers

DENVER — Jamal Murray scored 43 points, Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double and Russell Westbrook added 21 points off the bench in his return to the lineup as the Denver Nuggets cruised to a Game 5 win over the Los Angeles Clippers Tuesday night at Ball Arena.

For a brief moment in the fourth quarter, it looked like déjà vu for Denver, which mounted a 22-point lead and saw it shrink to 9 points moments later. But Murray scored or assisted on the next 11 points as the Nuggets surged back into a comfortable lead.

Murray went 17-of-26 from the field, including eight 3-pointers, for a new Ball Arena playoff record for points by a single player and the fourth-most points in a playoff game in Nuggets history.

It was also Murray's highest playoff point total since the 2020 bubble season.

Jokic’s third triple-double of the series came despite a poor shooting performance, going just 4-of-13 from the field. He scored 13 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 12 assists.

Westbrook was 8-of-15 shooting for his 21 points after missing Game 4 and playing just 9 minutes in Game 3.

Ivica Zubac led the way for Los Angeles with 27 points and six Clippers finished in double figures. It marks the first back-to-back losses for the Clippers since early March. Game 6 will be in LA Thursday night.

Nuggets-Clippers playoffs schedule (game times in Mountain Time)

• Game 1: Nuggets 112, Clippers 110 (OT)
• Game 2: Clippers 105, Nuggets 102
• Game 3: Clippers 117, Nuggets 83
• Game 4: Nuggets 101, Clippers 99
• Game 5: Nuggets 131, Clippers 115
• Game 6: Nuggets @ Clippers | Thursday, May 1 at 8 p.m.
• Game 7*: Clippers @ Nuggets | Saturday, May 3 at TBD

*if necessary