Denver vs. Los Angeles, Final Score: Nuggets take 2-0 series lead with 101-99 comeback win

23/04/2024 06:56

Jamal Murray caps the comeback for the Nuggets with a buzzer beater

The Lakers dominated early and took a twenty point lead early in the third quarter, but went cold late in the third quarter and the Nuggets fought back in the game and took their first lead in the second half as time expired as Jamal Murray's mid-range jumper hit the net.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis had terrific games for the Lakers, and they got plenty of help from D'Angelo Russell who scored 23 and made 7 three-point shots. The extended stretch from the middle of the third quarter to the middle of the fourth was a key time for the Nuggets as their bench outplayed the Lakers and kept them from scoring a baskets for most of the quarter. The Lakers almost held on but Jokic fueled the comeback as they chipped into the lead, and Jamal Murray, who had been held in check for most of the game came alive late as he victimized the tired LA defense to take over the game and hit the final shot as time ran out.

It was a great night for playoff basketball as the Lakers almost pulled off the upset, after the game between the Sixers and the Knicks was decided in the last minute.

Observations

• Be sure and read Gary's recap of the Sixers/Knicks game, because that was an amazing game, and the final minute was incredible to watch.
• If you told me before the game that Jokic would have a double double in the first quarter and the Lakers would be in the lead, I'd tell you that 4/20 was a few days ago, and that you should lay off the gummies.
• In Game 1, LeBron and AD played well enough to make their team competitive, but they needed someone else to show up to have a shot at winning the game. D'Angelo Russell showed up in the first half and hit his shots.
• Jamal Crawford is a new-ish addition for the TNT broadcast team, and he was a bit of fresh air next to the bombastic Reggie Miller and ultra-smooth Kevin Harlan. Crawford had a level of insight into the game that was a refreshing departure from the usual commentator-speak that is just focused on big plays. It actually made the viewing of the game more enjoyable as each of them brought different things to the table and it somehow worked well together.
• The pick and roll with LeBron and Anthony Davis was very effective as the Nuggets often ended up with Murray on AD in the paint for an easy layup. As the Nuggets tried to adjust to that, it just opened up shots for the other Lakers.
• D'Angelo Russell dropped his mouthpiece on the court in the third quarter, but picked it up and put it back in. Five second rule? Maybe you shouldn't just dangle the mouthpiece all of the time, because that's gross.
• The Lakers went cold in the latter part of the third quarter, and the Nuggets showed signs of life, but they missed quite a few shots as LA still held onto a 10 point lead going into the fourth.
• As the fourth quarter started, all of the pretty basketball played earlier got thrown out the window. This wasn't a game about strategy any more, it was a battle of wills and who could still perform in the thin air after a whole game of going toe-to-toe. The Lakers offense went stagnant, and LeBron just decided to take control and hit clutch shots. Jamal Murray, who had been held in check all game, took his shots in the final quarter as the Nuggets chipped into the lead. Jokic took over for the Nuggets as he cut the lead to a single point with 2 minutes left.
• The Nuggets comeback was completed with a Michael Porter Jr. triple with just over a minut left, but D'Angelo Russell put LA back in the lead right after that with a layup. It was a back and forth battle in the last minute, but LA missed their last shot.
• Jamal Murray's buzzer beater iced the game for the Nuggets 101-99, but it wouldn't have been possible without Jokic's 27 point, 10 assist performance that made the game close enough for the heroics to matter.

The Spurs don't play again until November, but if you like pro basketball, there's going to be a ton to watch this week, as the first round series get heated up. Almost all of the game ones were snoozers, but tonight's games were great. So far, no road team has won a game in the NBA playoffs. With 11 games played so far, that's pretty amazing. I expect that streak to be broken tomorrow.