Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images
L.A. did everything they could to contain Nikola Jokic. In the end, it burned them.
Nuggets take 2-0 lead in WCF behind masterclass from Murray, win 108-103
A perfect microcosm of a game that proves exactly why it’s impossible to count the Denver Nuggets out, no matter where they sit through two or three quarters. Thursday night, L.A. looked to have Denver’s number for much of the contest, jumping out to a lead as big as 11 and maintaining leads at the half, and after the third quarter. But those leads — five and three, respectively — were hardly big enough, as the fourth quarter belonged to the Nuggets, Jamal Murray in particular.
On the heels of an all-time playoff performance from Nikola Jokic in Game 1, Murray followed it up with an epic 37-point outing, scoring 23 of his 37 in the fourth. He missed 12 of his 17 shots through the first three quarters, but knocked down all but one of his shots in the fourth. Of those six buckets in the final frame, four were triples. Simply put, he was electric.
Jokic was no slouch, mind you. He scored 23 points, had 17 rebounds, and handed out 12 assists for yet another ho-hum triple-double. (That’s 13 playoff triple-doubles now, for those keeping track at home.) It doesn’t quite compare to his 34-21-14 Game 1 outing, but let’s be real here: What can?
LeBron James and Austin Reaves both scored 22 for the Lakers, who find themselves in a two-game hole for the first time this postseason. Anthony Davis kept his tradition of mighty-to-meager going, as he scored 18 after dropping a game-high 40 in Game 1. Rui Hachimura, who pundits billed as the potential Jokic stopper after his excellent defensive performance in the fourth quarter of Game 1, scored 21 points off the bench, 17 of which came in the first half. He didn’t exactly control Jokic, either.
The Nuggets remain an NBA-best at home this season, as they improved to 41-8 on the year with the win, and are now 8-0 in the playoffs. The series, though, shifts to L.A. now, where the Lakers are also 8-0 this postseason.
I said it before and I’ll say it again: Seven games, please.
