After being listed as inactive in the previous two contests, Murray went off for a career-high 24 points against the Denver Nuggets, becoming the youngest Spur to reach that mark in a regular season game. Murray followed that up with 14 points versus the Cavaliers in Cleveland, in a nationally televised overtime win where his full game was on display.
Murray began the week with a quiet night in Brooklyn against the Nets, but bounced back with 11 points in a victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. The Spurs are 6-0 with Murray in the starting lineup this season, which is one win away from Parker’s 7-0 start in 2001. Parker is listed as probable for tonight’s away game versus Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans.
Although Murray’s emergence on the NBA stage has been a welcome surprise, it falls in line with his numbers in Austin for the D-League Spurs. He is averaging 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists in 13 appearances with the Austin Spurs this season. Like Kyle Anderson and Jonathon Simmons before him, Murray appears to be making full use of his D-League experience, as he become more and more familiar with the intricacies of I-35.Dejounte Murray is now the youngest player in Spurs franchise history to score 24 or more points in a game. Previously Tony Parker in 2002. pic.twitter.com/HKuDMrWe8Z
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) January 20, 2017
With Parker back in the rotation and Patty Mills playing at a high level, additional jaunts to Austin may be in Murray’s immediate future. For now, Murray has proven that he can compete at the NBA level and is a reliable option at the point guard position should further injuries arise. Not bad for the 29th pick in the draft.
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) January 11, 2017
