Global Courant 2023-05-23 08:31:36
LOS ANGELES –
Nikola Jokic had 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists, as the Denver Nuggets advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in team history on Monday night, where they swept the Western Conference Finals with a 113-111 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers .
Jamal Murray scored 25 points for the top-seeded Nuggets, who overcame LeBron James’ first-half 31-point and 15-point halftime deficit with a tenacious end in Game 4 to clinch their first conference title in their 47 NBA seasons.
James finished with 40 points after the best-scoring postseason half of his career, but even the leading scorer in NBA history couldn’t hold onto the deep, dynamic Nuggets of their sixth straight win.
James missed two equalizing shots in the dying seconds, with Aaron Gordon appearing to block his shot at the buzzer.
Jokic earned his eighth triple-double of the playoffs by the third quarter, breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s 1967 NBA record for triple-doubles in a single postseason. The Serbian big man also led the Nuggets’ tenacious defensive effort, despite his fifth offense midway through the fourth quarter — and when Denver needed a big basket, so did Jokic.
The Lakers reversed a seven-point deficit and tied with five minutes to play, but Jokic hit a 25-yard fallaway 3-pointer. After Anthony Davis made two free throws to tie the score with 1:11 left, Jokic made his way past Davis for the deciding layup.
James then missed a strange fallaway jumper with 26 seconds left. After Murray missed a turnaround to give the Lakers one last chance, James’ drive was thwarted at the buzzer by Gordon, who scored 22 points.
The Nuggets cap off their stellar season under coach Michael Malone by playing for their first NBA championship. Denver both eliminated the Lakers for the first time in eight playoff meetings and swept for the first time in a playoff series, likely earning several days off before the Finals.
Unless the Boston Celtics make basketball history by mending their 3-0 deficit in the East Finals, Denver will host the eighth-seeded Miami Heat on June 1 to open the NBA Finals.
