Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Jamal Murray’s latest 50-point outing was remarkable for a number of reasons.
As if 50-point games weren’t special or historic enough, Jamal Murray went and upped the ante on Friday night.
In the Denver Nuggets‘ 120-103 demolition of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Murray ignited for a season-high 50 points while also chipping in 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.
But the most intriguing part of his stat line was the number of free-throw attempts it took him to get to the half-century mark: zero.
That’s not the only history Jamal Murray made
Murray became the first player in NBA history to reach 50 points without attempting a single free throw, but that’s not all he did.
By shooting an absurd 21-for-25 from the field (including 8-for-10 from 3-point range), Murray shot 84 percent from the floor. That unbelievable mark was tied for the second-highest field-goal percentage in a 50-point game in NBA history, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain’s 87 percent shooting in a 50-point outing back in 1967:
Furthermore, Murray’s night may have been the most efficient 50-point night in league history from another standpoint. Effective field goal percentage, which takes into account the fact that 3-point shots are worth more than 2-pointers, painted the full picture: Murray finished his evening with an effective field goal percentage of 100 percent — the highest mark in NBA history in any 50-point game.
It’s been a bit of a slow start to the season for Murray, who has largely failed to build on what felt like a potential breakout performance in the 2020 NBA Playoffs. However, he’s still more than capable of lighting it up on any given night, as he’s shown throughout his career.
Nuggets fans will be hoping this performance is just the tip of the iceberg that gets Murray back on track for the true breakout season everyone was expecting.