Jamal Murray shakes off Shaq’s critique after Game 1 | Sports Coverage [Video]

Denver Gazette beat writer Vinny Benedetto takes you around the NBA and inside the Nuggets locker room:

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OKLAHOMA CITY — It looked in Game 1 like Jamal Murray was going to add to his resume as one of the NBA’s elite playoff performers.

In the first quarter of Denver’s 121-119 comeback win over the top-seeded Thunder, Murray didn’t have much trouble despite being guarded by fellow Canadian Luguentz Dort, who’s regarded as one of the game’s tougher perimeter defenders. He scored 12 of his 21 points in the first quarter, making 4 of 7 shots from the field.

“It’s just fun,” Murray said Tuesday at Paycom Center of the matchup. “It’s always competitive. That’s the biggest thing.”

Five of the nine points he scored the rest of the way came via free throws. He had 14 points at halftime and missed all four of his field goal attempts in the …