Is it time to start worrying about Jamal Murray?

Michael Porter Jr., 1, and Jamal Murray, 27, of the Denver Nuggets participate in the first half of their game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Saturday, April 27, 2024. I'm preparing to play again. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

First thoughts on Game 4 of the Western Conference Playoffs, where the Nuggets lost to the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.

1.Delayed arrival: The Nuggets' equipment bus was late arriving at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday, forcing the team to warm up on a slide before a potentially close game. And just like in Games 1 through 3, the Nuggets themselves were a little late to the party, with Anthony Davis (17 points, 11 rebounds) completing a double-double by halftime and Denver scoring for the fourth consecutive game. He dropped by double digits. He turned the ball over eight times. Heck, coach Michael Malone also put up a terrible challenge. No one knows why this he two teams always have to start like this. But this is the rhythm we found in this game. Of course, it wasn't a problem for the Nuggets until Saturday. There is a first time for everything.

2. Jamal's conflict: When do you start worrying about Jamal Murray? Aside from the epic Game 2 buzzer-beater, this was a tough series for the Nuggets' star point guard, who shot 37.7% from the field (26-of-69) in Game 4. . After LeBron beat Karch Killary on Jamal's drive early in the third quarter (King James' second big hit on Murray this series), he went 5-of-14 from the floor and turned the corner. He recorded 4 overs. He finished with 22 points, 9 of 23 points (4 of 3, 0 points). Some may remember that Murray missed seven straight games late in the regular season while dealing with multiple injuries to his leg. On Saturday night, he was seen clutching the back of his leg. Does that mean this is rust? Or is there something wrong with his health? Considering the Nuggets' championship hopes, the former would be better.

3. Gentleman's Sweep: Playing with fire frequently will cause burns. Or, in the Nuggets' case, playing with fire for four games in a row…and getting burned once. Simply put, it's hard for him to beat a team 12 times in a row, especially when that team has a habit of finding him trailing by double digits. As great as Nikola Jokic (33 points, 14 rebounds, 14 assists) was, the collective effort of Denver's 9-of-3 points (9-of-30 on Saturday, 27.6% for the series) was a troubling problem. The Lakers currently have the weakest record. A little hope. Good news for the Nuggets? They still have three tries left to end this, and they're just a few away from doing it in Monday's gentleman's sweep at Ball Arena. The bad news? The Nuggets have some big problems to solve. Or there could be trouble in the second round.