Murray has 40 points, Nuggets beat Timberwolves for 2-0 lead

DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray never had this type of performance with such an ear-splitting soundtrack to go with it.

Murray scored 40 points and Michael Porter Jr. had 13 of his 16 in the fourth quarter, powering the Denver Nuggets past the Minnesota Timberwolves 122-113 on Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in the NBA playoff series.

Murray hadn’t ever produced even a 30-point playoff game at Ball Arena — his two 50-point postseason performances came in the NBA bubble in Florida in 2020.

“It’s nice,” Murray said. “It’s nice having a crowd. They got me going. That fires us up and gives us a lot of life even when we’re not playing our best.”

Nuggets coach Michael Malone called it a “passionate, heartfelt performance,” and he gave Murray a big hug when…