The NBA 2020 playoffs kicked off with the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz squaring off in a matchup that stretched into overtime to decide a winner, and we couldn’t have asked for a better game to open the 2020 playoffs.
Donovan Mitchell was best by Jamal Murray in overtime as the latter carried the Nuggets to a 135-125 win and a 1-0 lead in the series, after both players exchanged shots back and forth down the stretch.
Mitchell, however, finished the game with 57 points, becoming the youngest player since Michael Jordan to score 50-plus points in a playoff game.
The Jazz seemed to have taken control for the majority of the second half, and looked like they would be able to manage a win but an All-Star effort from Jamal Murray forced overtime, and his play, helped by a meltdown from Utah in OT, decided the tie. Murray scored 10 of his 36 points in OT to secure the win for Denver and finished the game just shy of a double-double with nine assists.
The smooth transition and chemistry between Murray and Nikola Jokic proved to be too much for Utah, as the sweet-shooting 7-footer displayed his huge offensive versatility in the first half of the game, and ended the contest with 29 points and 10 boards.
Also, a wide-open 3-pointer by Jokic with two minutes to go in overtime allowed Denver to extend their lead to nine, essentially icing the game for the Nuggets.
