Denver (USA), .- The Canadian base Jamal Murray scored 23 points and led the balanced attack of the Denver Nuggets that were imposed by 108-90 to the Spurs of San Antonio in the fifth game of the tie of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Murray led a list of six Nuggets players who had double-digit numbers and got the third win that gives them the advantage (3-2) in the series that they play the best of seven.
The sixth game will be played next Thursday at the AT & T Center in San Antonio, where they will have the opportunity to get the pass to the semifinals of the Western Conference for the first time in a decade.
The Nuggets already won last weekend in the fourth game of the series, and it was the first win they made in San Antonio since 2012.
The Denver team, which finished the regular season with the best record in its Pepsi Center field, managed to be in the playoffs for the first time in six years and showed its best winning team version.
The Serbian center Nikola Jokic finished the game with a double-double of 16 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists that left him as the second highest scorer and the key player in the paint.
The Nuggets were always in control of the game and came to have up to 30 points of advantage with partial 99-69, which allowed the holders to go to the bench to have more rest with everything decided.
Power forward Paul Millsap scored 14 points as the most experienced player in the young Nuggets team and did so after having only four points in the previous match at Sa Antonio.
While the Spanish power forward Juancho Hernangómez played six minutes as a reserve for the Nuggets and went without points when he failed the only shot he made a basket.
But the former player of the students had prominence in the painting to get two rebounds that were defensive, lost a ball and committed two personal fouls.
DeMar guard DeRozan and power forward LaMarcus Aldridge scored 17 points apiece, but the Spurs could never be competitive throughout the game.
Although the start of the game the Spurs had a partial advantage of 2-7, the Nuggets reacted to a 14-2 run and finished up the first quarter (26-19) without losing the lead the rest of the way.
“We talked about it during the regular season and now in the playoffs, the team that has the advantage in the first quarter is going to get the victory,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone.
“Although we got two victories without having managed to be up in the first quarter, in this game it was decisive, especially because the Spurs came out aggressive in the attack after losing the fourth game.” (EFE)
