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47 years as a franchise, a lone trip to the Finals. Feels like destiny, doesn’t it?
Nuggets finish off Lakers, 113-111, advance to first NBA Finals in franchise history
There has never been a player like Nikola Jokic. So it’s only fitting that he takes his team to the brink of the Promised Land with a string of performances unlike any we’ve ever seen.
Jokic was the star, because of course he was, and his Denver Nuggets are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history after sweeping the Lakers in dominant fashion. The two-time MVP dropped yet another triple-double in the win, finishing with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists. It marked his eighth triple-double this postseason, a new postseason record.
Though the sweep was certainly dominant, Denver’s win in Game 4 was anything but a cakewalk. The Lakers led by 15 at halftime after scoring 73 points in the first half, and it took a third-quarter performance for the ages from the Nuggets to even make this a game. The Nuggets outscored the Lakers 36-16 in the third to take a five-point lead entering the fourth, and looked to be in control of their destiny down the stretch.
But the Lakers managed to climb out of a seven-point hole and tie the game with five minutes to play. Given their first-half dominance, staving off elimination for one more day was hardly out of the question. Until…
The Lakers kept things close with under two minutes to play, but LeBron James clanged a fallaway jumper with 26 seconds remaining and the Nuggets leading by two. Jamal Murray missed a jumper of his own, giving L.A. one last opportunity to send the game to overtime, but LeBron was met on the drive by Murray and Aaron Gordon, who forced a tough attempt just before the buzzer sounded.
LeBron finished with 40 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists; he had the highest-scoring postseason half of his career (31 points). Anthony Davis (21 points, 14 rebounds), Austin Reaves (17 points), Dennis Schroder (13), and Rui Hachimura (10) all finished in double-figures, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Lakers alive for one more day. The result was a sweep for just the 11th time in franchise history.
As for the Nuggets, Jokic wasn’t alone in his efforts. Jamal Murray made good on his offensive excellence this series by scoring 25 points in the capper, while Aaron Gordon (22 points), Michael Porter Jr. (15), and former Laker Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (13) all finished in double-figures to lead Denver to victory.
Denver will meet either the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics in the… who are we kidding, it’s gonna be the Heat. They lead 3-0, and the Celtics look like a junior varsity squad right now. The Finals tips off on June 1.
