Following Tuesday night's win, Jokić was asked to recall a key quote of his about Murray from that first Nuggets title run that feels evergreen right now. After an electric Murray led those Nuggets to a decisive Game 1 win over the Phoenix Suns in 2023's second round, Jokić referred to his running mate as the Nuggets' "best player."

Murray's 43-point explosion on Tuesday gave Denver a 3-2 series lead on the Clippers and evoked memories of the 2023 championship run.

The play of three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, who has recorded three double doubles in the first six games of the Denver Nuggets’ first-round Western Conference series against the Los Angeles Clippers, could very well determine the outcome of Saturday night’s Game 7 at Ball Arena in downtown Denver.