It was one of those nights where a quick prayer to the basketball gods was the best defense against Jamal Murray.

Already an established playoff riser, the Blue Arrow took aim against the Warriors in Denver’s 129-104 NBA Cup win on Friday at Ball Arena.

“There’s a lot of money on the line,” Murray said. “That always helps.”

Murray’s production helped he and the rest of the Nuggets starters into a restful fourth quarter. He finished with 23 points on 12 shots in 31 minutes of playing time.

“He was just really clean tonight,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “His efficiency from the floor, from 3, from the free-throw line all season long has been so impressive.”

Murray hit his only attempt from 3-point range in the first quarter. He missed his second during a 10-0 Warriors run early in the second quarter before igniting. Back-to-back 3s – one a step-back and another a pull-up – got Denver’s lead back to seven. A fade-away and a couple of free throws kept the momentum going before it was heat-check time. He was 4 for 5 from deep after pulling up for 3 in transition following his second steal of the game. Then, he ripped the net with a catch-and-shoot movement 3 after using a Nikola Jokic screen to put the Nuggets up 19 late in the second quarter. He finished the first half with 19 points.

There was playmaking beyond the shot making. Afterward, Adelman couldn’t pick what he liked more between the skills.

“I like both to be honest,” Adelman said. “Because that’s what the game is now with him and the way people cover us in pick and rolls with the zero coverage sometimes.”

Adelman continued to say that Murray needs to be assertive in looking for his own shot, but people underestimate how difficult it is to make the perfect pass on every play. Defenses are always adjusting their pick-and-roll schemes, especially after timeouts, and he also had to handle being aggressively double-teamed when on the court with the reserves.

Murray made a wild pass to set up Jonas Valanciunas’ second 3 early in the second quarter. Operating near the left block, Murray spun away from a double team and elevated like he was going to take a fade-away jumper over Buddy Hield. At the last second, Murray lofted a pass over Trayce Jackson-Davis to Valanciunas, who had all night to release his shot. He made another mid-air pass, this one a cross-court dime to Aaron Gordon for a corner 3, early in the third quarter.

“I might shoot it,” Murray said of his thought process on the jump passes. “Sometimes when you jump, you allow time to pass. … I’m just using my eyes.”

A possession later, he found Jokic for an easy bucket on the next possession. He finished with eight assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block.  It made for a complete performance after Murray was listed on Denver’s injury report prior to the last two games with left calf tightness. He played in wins over the Kings and Heat but shot 31% from the field and 8% from 3.

Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 26 points, while Aaron Gordon (18), Jonas Valanciunas (16), Christian Braun (12) and Peyton Watson also finished in double figures for Denver.

On a night the Warriors were without Stephen Curry, Draymond Green assumed the role of sharpshooter. He finished with 17 points behind a 5-for-10 mark from 3-point range, but it was no match for one of Murray’ most complete games of the season.

NUGGETS 129, WARRIORS 104

What happened: Denver extended an 11-point lead at the end of the first quarter to a 66-49 halftime advantage. A 22-point lead to start the fourth quarter was enough for the Nuggets to improve to 6-2 on the season and 5-0 at home.

What went right: Denver went 12 for 20 from 3-point range in the first half. Beyond Murray’s hot start, Jonas Valanciunas made his first two attempts, while Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic went 2 for 3.

What went wrong: The early exit for Denver’s starters prevented Jokic from recording a triple-double. He finished with nine rebounds and nine assists in 28 minutes of playing time.

Highlight of the night: Aaron Gordon embarrassed a couple of Warriors on one play. First, it was Buddy Hield, who was on the receiving end of a combo move that featured a between-the-legs crossover into a couple of behind-the-back dribbles before one final crossover shook Hield. Then, Gordon took his momentum to the rim where he threw down a one-handed slam over Warriors big man Quinten Post.

Up next: The Nuggets are back at Ball Arena for Saturday’s game against the Pacers.