With a monumental fourth period from Jamal Murray in which he scored 23 of his 37 points, the Nuggets triumphed 108-103 against the Los Angeles Lakers and cemented Denver’s strength to take a 2-0 lead into the Finals of the Western Conference , who now head to the Cyrpto.Com arena angelina for the next two chapters.
The Nuggets, the best team in the West, remain undefeated in the Ball Arena in these playoffs and after beating the Phoenix Suns in the previous round, they are two wins away from reaching the first NBA Finals in their history.
They confirmed the first game victory with a recital from Murray in the fourth period, which he achieved with a modest five of 17 shots and sealed 23 points, taking six of seven from the field and four of five from triples.
Already fully recovered from the serious crossover injury he suffered in 2021, he finished his game with a double-dig of 37 points and 10 assists, halting the last momentum of the Lakers, who enjoyed an epic comeback.
If Murray was unstoppable in the fourth period, Serbian Nikola Jokic returned to contribute a triple double, the seventh of his playoffs. He had 23 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists. Michael Porter, with 16 points and four triples, and Bruce Brown, with 12 and a valuable final steal from LeBron James, completed the work of Michael Malone’s men.
They frustrated some Lakers in which James hit the triple double with 22 points, nine rebounds and ten assists, with four steals and two blocks. He was the protagonist of a commendable defensive performance and was backed up by a double-double of 18 points and fourteen rebounds, on four shots, from Anthony Davis.
The Angelenos had an eleven-point lead in the third period, but paid off their low percentages in triples (8 of 30, 26%) and succumbed to Murray’s festival in the final segment.
THE LAKERS MATCH THE INTENSITY OF THE NUGGETS
The Lakers took steps to contain the destructive power with which the Nuggets dominated early in the first game. Going 6-22 down in rebounds in the first half on Tuesday, they responded with renewed intensity, something that allowed them to tackle one of the most physical franchises in the league (tied with 23 rebounds at halftime).
Jokic and Murray, despite enormous pressure, continued to perform brilliantly. They scored 17 of the Nuggets’ 27 points in the first quarter, and the Serb already had 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists halfway through the game.
However, the superior defensive effort allowed the Lakers to take control with a great start to the second quarter, with a 9-0 lead paving the way for the maximum advantage at 45-34.
Davis, LeBron and D’Angelo Russell, who was also called a blatant type one in the first period for a foul on Murray, made great defense contributions and Hachimura completed two perfect quarters, shooting 7-of-7 and shot. 17 points in fourteen minutes that boosted the Lakers.
Of course, the Nuggets, with maturity, didn’t suffer that blow and put themselves within a single point with a 14-4 matched with eight missed field goals by the Lakers, who went to the locker room 53-48.
LeBron, with two valuable steals and outstanding intensity, led a great start to the third period for the Lakers, who recovered an eleven-point margin at 68-57, but the Nuggets answered again.
They did it with a 10-0 run fueled by back-to-back 3-pointers from Caldwell Pope and Brown to tie the game at 74-74.
LeBron continued to shine with his defensive effort (even ending up in front of the seats at the foot of the field after a defensive play), but he got stuck out of the arc, with a clean sheet of six that reflected the plight of the entire team (5 of 26).
Murray’s Feast
Those difficulties collided with a moment of sporting omnipotence for the Nuggets, in which Murray recovered after suffering in the second and third quarters and hit two stellar triples.
They were joined by Brown and Porter to climb the luminous 96-84 with 5.36 to play and unleash the Euphoria of the Ball Arena.
The Nuggets entered the final segment with a 20-5 run and started with six triples for the Lakers’ clean sheets. Murray, who had 14 in the first three quarters, grew more confident and eventually smashed the Lakers. He hit four of his five three-point attempts and fired at the Nuggets.
LeBron showed tremendous effort, overcoming a sprained left ankle after falling on Davis’ foot in the battle for a defensive rebound, and holding off an Angelenos who enjoyed an epic comeback by playing within two points on 99 with one minute left to play -101 to come.
The efforts of those in purple and gold were commendable, but not enough to contain the Nuggets who sealed their victory and are now two wins away from the first Finals in their history.
Source: El heraldo
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
