DEN 135, UTA 129: Murray Finishes With 73 ESPN FP
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Jasmine "Jazz" Porter
University Student · Oklahoma City Thunder fan
Jokic and Murray Put On a Clinic, But the Jazz Role Players Won't Let You Sleep Easy
The Nuggets escaped Salt Lake City with a 135-129 win, and honestly, this one stung to watch as someone who was hoping the Jazz could steal it. But here's the thing, fantasy managers need to understand what actually went down here, because the narrative changes everything about your next move.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikola Jokić | 71.0 | 65.0 | 33/15/12 | 27.9/12.8/10.8 | +5.1 |
| Jamal Murray | 73.0 | 61.2 | 31/6/14 | 25.5/4.4/7.2 | +5.5 |
| Kyle Filipowski | 45.0 | 41.1 | 25/8/5 | 10.7/7.0/2.5 | +14.3 |
| Cody Williams | 47.0 | 39.5 | 24/0/7 | 8.0/2.8/1.6 | +16.0 |
| John Konchar | 46.0 | 37.6 | 16/8/2 | 3.9/3.8/1.6 | +12.1 |
| Brice Sensabaugh | 34.0 | 29.8 | 13/4/6 | 14.1/3.0/1.7 | -1.1 |
| Elijah Harkless | 27.0 | 29.8 | 11/4/2 | 7.0/1.9/2.8 | +4.0 |
| Kennedy Chandler | 37.0 | 29.7 | 16/1/7 | 15.5/3.0/7.0 | +0.5 |
| Aaron Gordon | 27.0 | 28.9 | 17/7/1 | 16.6/5.9/2.5 | +0.4 |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | 27.0 | 24.0 | 21/0/0 | 13.8/2.6/1.4 | +7.2 |
The Denver Duo Showed Up Big
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray basically said "not today" to any Jazz comeback hopes. Jokic dropped a near triple-double with 33/15/12 and went absolutely nuclear from the field (13-16). That's the reigning MVP doing what MVPs do. He crushed his season average by 5.1 points, and the 12 assists tell you Denver's entire offense was flowing through him.
Murray was somehow even more efficient, going 9-17 with five threes and flawless free throws (8-8). The +5.5 scoring bump shows this wasn't just a volume thing, he was genuinely on another level. When these two are rolling together, you're not beating Denver. That's just facts.
If you own either of them, this confirms what you already knew, hold tight and stop panicking on the bad nights. This is what elite production looks like.
The Jazz Role Player Explosion (And Why You Should Be Paying Attention)
Here's where it gets spicy. The Jazz got absolutely cooked, but some of their role players put on a show that could legitimately change your roster construction over the next week.
Kyle Filipowski is out here looking like he finally got the memo. 25 points on 11-17 shooting, plus 8 rebounds in just 24 minutes. That's not a one-off performance, that's a guy playing with confidence. He crushed his season average by 14.3 points. If he's sitting at lower ownership in your league, this is your wake-up call to add him before the buzz spreads.
Cody Williams went absolutely nuclear, putting up 24 points with 7 assists and 0 turnovers. That's the kind of efficient, complete game that makes you think "wait, why isn't this kid owned in more leagues?" He was +16.0 on his season average. In a 12-team league where he's under 50% owned, you should be making the move right now.
John Konchar getting 16/8/2 with steals might seem niche, but context matters. He was +12.1 on his average and went 8-10 from the field. That's conversion rate city. The Jazz were letting bench guys cook, which happens in losses, but Konchar's efficiency was real.
The Deeper Story
Denver won this game, but the Jazz didn't lose it because of their role players outplaying Denver's reserves. They lost it because the Nuggets stars were absolutely locked in. Aaron Gordon and Tim Hardaway Jr. contributed solid numbers (28.9 and 24 Yahoo FP respectively), but they didn't need to carry a load.
Peyton Watson was the only real dud for Denver, massively underperforming his average. That matters only if he was in your lineup, because it shows that even when one key piece underperforms, the Jokic-Murray combo is enough to handle business.
What You Actually Do
If you have Filipowski or Williams on your waiver wire, add them. They're trending up and you don't want to look back in two weeks wishing you'd grabbed them now. The ownership bump on Bailey is already happening league-wide (+2.0%), so he might be gone, but check your wire anyway.
The Nuggets keep proving they're legit. The Jazz role players keep proving they can ball out. Neither story is sustainable on a nightly basis, but the patterns matter for your lineups going forward.