Jamal Murray looked like he was well-rested for his record-setting game on Monday night, but he actually wasn't.
Murray scored a career-high 48 points in leading the Denver Nuggets to a 115-107 win over the visiting Boston Celtics on Monday, with the Canadian admitting after the game that he was feeling fatigued before tip-off.
"I was tired going into the game, but I play better when I'm tired," Murray told reporters. "I play with more focus. I was taught that way, I grew up that way."
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The 21-year-old said he knew from his "first shot" that it would be a big night for him, but even Murray couldn't have predicted the outcome. The Kitchener, Ont., native's offensive explosion is the highest single-game regular season point total by a Canadian player in NBA history, and Murray felt that he kept his rhythm throughout the game.
"I didn't lose that mood," he said. "I didn't lose that confidence and my team just kept finding me the ball."
The only other Canadian to have scored as many points in a game is two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash, who recorded 48 points in a 2005 playoff game with the Phoenix Suns. Nash, now the general manager of Canada's men's national basketball team, took to Twitter to congratulate Murray for equaling his all-time mark.
👀🇨🇦👊🏼 https://t.co/BK3PHIOuCr
— Steve Nash (@SteveNash) November 6, 2018
Murray, whose season average jumped to 18.9 points per game after Monday's contest, said he was "having a lot of fun" in going 19-for-30 from the field and even joked that he ignored coach Michael Malone's instructions on occasion as he looked to increase his total on the night.
"I was looking for that ball," Murray said. "One time down the court, I think coach called a play for Joker [Nuggets centre Nikola Jokic] and I pulled up for three, he called a timeout, so my emotion took over."
Jamal Murray dropped a CAREER-HIGH 48 POINTS in the @nuggets WIN over the @celtics! 🙌#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/SYPx7mk0f1
— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) November 6, 2018
Murray's historic night was capped by a 19-point fourth quarter that helped secure the victory for the Nuggets, who now boast a 9-1 record. His play earned "MVP" chants from the adoring Pepsi Center crowd, which Murray said he appreciated.
"I was locked in, I didn't even hear them. I was just focusing on calling the play and scoring a bucket," Murray said with a laugh. "It was cool, man. It's a great feeling. It was the first time I've ever gotten that, and hopefully there's plenty more."