Once again with Jamal Murray the protagonist with a basket in the last seconds of the game, the Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 108-106 this Monday with a huge LeBron James, who said goodbye to the NBA playoffs in the first round of the Western Conference. Jamal Murray did it again. After deciding the second game at the buzzer, this Monday he hit a jump shot with 3.6 seconds left in the fourth period that closed the game and the series, won 4-1 by the Nuggets.
The reigning NBA champions will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round. The Wolves defeated Kevin Durant and Devin Booker's Phoenix Suns 4-0. In doubt until the last minutes due to a physical problem suffered in the fourth game in Los Angeles, Murray took the court in the Nuggets' starting five and shone with 32 points, five triples and seven assists.
It was he who took responsibility for the last shot, with a tie at 106 on the scoreboard, and he connected it with elegance in a jump shot to give his team the ticket for the second round and punish the Lakers who died on the shore after leaving everything in track.
Serbian Nikola Jokic had another spectacular performance with 25 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists. He was once again decisive in leading his team in moments of difficulty, despite a night in which he lost up to seven balls. Michael Porter Jr also shined with 26 points and five triples from seven attempts.
The Lakers, who avoided the beating on Saturday in Los Angeles, fell despite a monumental LeBron James, who at 39 years old and in his twenty-first season in the NBA had 30 points, nine rebounds and eleven assists in 44 minutes on the court. With more than 40 minutes on average on the court in these 'playoffs', LeBron is the oldest player in NBA history capable of showing off these numbers.
His Lakers gave everything, but their maximum is not enough to defeat the Nuggets who, even without shining, compete with calm, confidence and character. The work of the Angelenos was also complicated by Anthony Davis who played almost the entire second half due to severe pain in a shoulder suffered after a collision with Michael Porter Jr at the beginning of the third period.
The Lakers had a nine-point lead in that quarter, but they paid for that moment of trouble with a 14-2 run that returned the advantage to the Nuggets. Davis finished his game with 17 points and fifteen rebounds, although he played several minutes without being able to force his left arm due to the severe pain. The center was treated by the Lakes medical team and despite returning to the court, he was unable to force his left arm for several minutes. He repeatedly touched his shoulder area, but he did not give up continuing to compete.
LeBron James noticed the moment and attacked the Lakers, but the Nuggets, with Jokic setting the pace and Murray leaving his signature from the goal, sealed a 14-2 run that gave them a 74-71 advantage after touching -9 . He held his balance until the end, thanks also to Austin Reaves who, like LeBron, scored nine points in the fourth quarter, but at the decisive moment Jamal Murray appeared again.
Another jump shot, like in the second game. That time was the decisive blow for 2-0 in the series. This time it was the KO of some Lakers eliminated from the playoffs.
Once the game was over, James assured that he was going to focus on his family in the coming weeks and did not want to answer a question at a press conference about whether this was his last game with the Lakers. "I'm not going to answer this, thank you," he said with a smile in the press room at Denver's Ball Arena after being asked if he has thought about whether this will be his last game with the purple and gold. .
James has a player option of $51.4 million (about €48 million) for the 2024-2025 season to stay with the Lakers. "I'm going to be with my family, honestly," LeBron said when referring to his short-term plans, adding that he will later focus on preparing for the Paris Games this summer.
"They are the current champions, they are a super, great team, very well trained, they made the plays at the decisive moment, a lot of merit without a doubt," said King James, recognizing the power of the Nuggets. The defending champions will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the West playoffs. The Wolves eliminated the Phoenix Suns (4-0).
