Lakers 99 - 101 Nuggets summary, stats, scores and highlights | NBA Playoffs Game 2
This was the last minute from Denver. Enjoy if you are a Nuggets fan. If you are a Lakers fan, better that would close out of the window .
After a terrible night from the field, Murray got hot in the fourth quarter and with the game on the line Denver went to their Mr. Clutch. LeBron missed a wide open three pointer on the other end which opened the door for Murray to win the game. Murray had 20 on the night, but maybe no shot in his career will be more memorable than this step back game winner over Anthony Davis and to call game to take a 2-0 lead to LA.
Championship teams make championship plays and this tip toe on the baseline and no look assist to Porter Jr. to tie the game was a championship play. The Nuggets trailed all game, but with just over 60 seconds left the Nuggets were level and looking to kill off the Lakers in regulation.
LeBron had another huge night scoring 26, grabbing 8 rebounds and dishing 12 assists and had a couple threes in a row that seemed like it was going to kill the Nuggets hopes for a comeback, but the Nuggets continued to claw back. Anthony Davis had 32 points through three quarter, but had no points and just one field goal attempt in the final quarter.
Murray struggled from the field all night, but got hot at the right time and came to the rescue for his team late in the fourth. He was 9/24 to finish the game, and talked after the game about despite his terrible shooting day his teammates told him to continue to shoot it.
The Lakers built up a 20 point lead in the third quarter, but Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and company continued to fight as the defense kept LA off the board for over five minutes to get the home team back in the game heading into the final 12 minutes.
Nikola Jokic had 10 in the first quarter, but cooled down until late in the 3rd quarter. While he cooled off, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon kept the Nuggets in the game with some big buckets to keep them hanging on in Game 2.
This was the kind of night it was for Jamal Murray before he started to turn it on in the fourth quarter. The Lakers dominated the first half jumping out to the lead and keeping the lead until the last second of the game.
Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets stunned the Los Angeles Lakers at the final buzzer to steal Game 2 and take a 2-0 series lead to LA after hanging on to home court advantage. Murray struggled shooting the ball all night, but had the ball in his hands with the game on the line and delivered for the Mile High City.
It was far from a perfect night for Denver, but they had a perfect finish despite a slow start to the night. The Lakers came out for the second straight game and took the lead early on thanks to some hot shooting from D'Angelo Russell who bounced back from a 1/9 three point shooting performance in Game 1.
MURRAY TAKES THE CLOCK ALL THE WAY DOWN AND STEPS BACK OVER AD ON THE BASELINE AND CALLS GAME!!!!
LeBron missed an open three ball with under 20 second to go and the Nuggets will have the final shot!
Murray off the dribble and he sticks the elbow jumper.
LeBron slashes to the iron and he lays it up off the glass softly.
Murray fouled by James and he hits both FTs. We are tied with under 60 seconds to go.
Russell out of the timeout, he drives and hangs it high off the glass. He's hit 7 threes tonight but that might be his biggest shot of the night!
Timeout Nuggets with 1:03 to go!
Gordon tip toeing the baseline and just threw it back over his head, finding Porter who drills the three with a defender crashing in!
Timeout Lakers with 1:15 to go!
James picks off Murray and he throws it down on the break!
2:00 to go.
Joker got AD up in the air, waited for the contact, got the foul and the bucket! FT is good and we have a one point game! He's got 27, 20 and 10!
Murray gets the roll on the floater down the lane.
Reaves with a tough baseline fadeaway with the shot clock winding down.
Jokic on the turnaournd and the jump hook over AD.
LeBron gets the tough leaner in the lane to fall and gets the foul! FT is no good after the foul on KCP.
Timeout LA with 4:14 to go.
Jokic gets his own rebound and puts it back up and in!
Gordon to the line after the foul on Reaves and he hits both FTs.
James with another three ball, this one in the face of Murray and he drills it for back to back triples!
LeBron pulls up long range and he hits a big triple to silence this crowd at Ball Arena!
Murray taking over in the 4th! He gets the scoop lay up to go off the glass from the left side.
Murry with the fader from the FT line and he hits the mid range J.
Hachimura to the line after the foul on Murray and he hits one of two FTs.
Jokic hits Watson down the middle of the court and he stretches to the bucket for the lay up on the break!
Timeout Lakers with 8:18 to go after a 6-0 run from Denver!
Murray drills the baseline jumper and the Nuggets are as close as they have been this half.
Braun gets the offensive board, and draws a foul on LeBron down low, but he misses both FTs.
Braun streaks down the lane for the lay up.
Prince with a step back three ball from the top of the key to beat the buzzer and the lead is back to double digits!
Gordon drives into Hayes and hangs it off the glass.
WE ARE HEADED TO THE FINAL QUARTER WITH THE LAKERS LEADING BY 10!
Jokic finds Braun flashing to the FT line and he hits the mid range jumper.
James to the line after the foul on Gordon and he hits both FTs.
Jokic pivoting and spinning down low to get the lay up over Hachimura.
James finds Russell i the corner and he drills his seventh three ball of the night!
Jokic backing down Hachimura in the paint and gets the lay up to go off the glass. 10-0 run from Denver!
KCP with a tomahawk slam over Prince after Jokic hit him with the long outlet!
KCP finds Joker slashing down the lane and he finishes with a finger roll.
TImeout Nuggets with 4:38 to go in the 3rd quarter.
Give and got with Porter to Murray and back for the alley oop slam on the break.
KCP through the lane and he gets the fall away jumper to fall.
Timeout LA with 6:47 to go in the 3rd quarter.
Another tough jump hook from AD in the paint.
Jokic to the line after the foul on Davis and he hits both FTs.
LeBron taking it on his own, and he hits the step back jumper over Jokic from the baseline.
KCP to the line after the foul on Russell and he hits both FTs.
James with the slip pass to a cutting Hachimura and he lays it in for his first bucket of the night.
Porter drills a three ball out of the timeout and the Nuggets needed to see that shot go down.
James kicks it out for Reaves on the wing and he drills the three ball!
LA lead by 20 and the Nuggets need a timeout with 10:00 to go in the third.
Pick and roll with LeBron and AD again, and again it leads to an AND 1 for AD! FT is good and he's already got 30.
Gordon postin up on Russell and he pump fakes under the basket before the easy lay up down low.
Murray slices past LeBron and gets the reverse to go.
Davis and LeBron run the pick and roll and it leads to a wide open lay up for AD and he got fouled. FT is good and he's got 27.
WE ARE BACK IN ACTION FROM DENVER!
LeBron got his second block on Murray and then somehow made the play that we promised to show. Look at the speed, the strength and the agility of the man they call the King.
Russell ended the first half with six threes on seven attempts, and needless to say everything that the Lakers needed to happen tonight is happening, at least through 24 minues.
LeBron has taken his game to a whole new level in the postseason. He's doing a bit of everything tonight. Right here he gets the rebound and dishes it right into the path of Anthony Davis for the slam. Davis has a game high 24 points and Denver hasn't had much of an answer for him.
The Nuggets got off to another slow start for a second straight game. Jokic has 12, Porter as 14 but everyone went quiet in the final 7 minutes of the half. They scored just 7 points in that span and the Lakers pulled away by 15.
LeBron is all about his business tonight. He's got 10, 6 and 7, and this was one of the nastiest blocks of the 39 year old's career.
The Lakers needed a response from some of their guys after being called into question following the Game 1 loss. No one was questioned more than D'Angelo Russell who went 1/9 from three last game. Tonight he started hot and never cooled down. He had three triples in the blink of an eye..
WE ARE AT HALFTIME FROM DENVER!!!
The Lakers locked down the defense to close out the half. They end the half on a 21-7 run in the final 6:26 of the second quarter.
Russell with a pull up from long range, and he hits his sixth three of the first half!!!
LeBron with a block on one end, got hog tied KCP and still got the lay up to go! FT is good to complete the incredible three point play.
Davis drills the baseline jumper and that's 24 first half points for AD!
Jokic to the line after the foul on AD, and he hits both FTs.
James with the penetration and dump off to AD for the lay up down low.
Porter strings another three ball after the kick out from Gordon.
Davis with the catch and shoot from the elbow and he drills it! He's got 20 in the first half!
Jump hook in the paint and AD gets it to fall.
Fordon with a mid range J out of the timeout and he's got 8 on the night.
Prince strokes a three ball off the kick out from Russell and the Nuggets need a timeout after a 7-0 run from LA with 4:40 left in the first half.
AD off the dribble and he spins off Jokic before hitting the jump hook.
Turn around from AD on the baseline and he hits the fader over Jokic.
Porter with a side step and pull up from the top of the key and drills the long ball!
Davis down the lane and gets the baby hook to fall.
Jokic tossed up a prayer with the clock winding down and Braun was there with the offensive board and tip in.
Russell drills the three ball from the wing, and he's got 5 three pointers in the first half!
Gordon picks up the loose ball at half court and slides it to Braun who hangs and hits off the glass.
Gordon to the line after the foul on Hayes and he hits both FTs.
Russell drills another three ball! He's got four on the night after going 1/9 in Game 1!
Gordon faked the handoff, took a dribble and exploded to the rim for the two handed jam!
Braun sends LeBron to the FT line where he makes both FTs.
Braun slashes to the bucket and and he's on the board right off the bench with a lay up at the lane.
WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER!
LA led by as many as 11 thanks to Russell's quick start, but Jokic got hot and ends the quarter with 10 and 10 rebounds.
Jokic to the line after the foul on Prince and he hits both FTs.
Dump off from Russell to AD at the FT line and he hits the mid range J.
Jokic with 8 straight points after a slow scoring start. He drills a three ball from the top of the key.
AD catches the entry pass and fades away from the block out of the timeout.
Jokic with a flurry of five quick points as he goes hard to the rack and KCP found him for the lay up.
Timeout Lakers with 3:22 to go in the first quarter.
Jokic drills a three ball and that's the first time we've mentioned his name tonight.
Reaves pulls up from the elbow and his the mid range J.
Porter with a quick trigger three ball from the top of the key.
Reaves follows his own miss, dumps it off to Davis who puts it up and in from down low.
James was left open and he drills a three ball from the top of the key off the dish from Reaves.
Murray gets into the lane and floats one up over LeBron.
AD to the line after the foul on Jokic and he hits both FTs.
LeBron with the defensive board, and he fires a pass into the path of AD for the wide open lay up on the break.
Timeout Nuggets with 6:37 to go in the 1st quarter.
Gordon finishes the fast break with a reverse jam after the pass from Murray.
LeBron bullies through a double team on the break, gets the bucket and the foul! FT is no good after the foul on KCP.
Murray off the dribble and he goes into the body of Reaves for the lay up.
Russell with another three ball! It's a dream start for D'Lo!!!
Reaves from the FT line and he hits the fader of the dribble.
WHAT A BLOCK BY JAMES ON THE ATTEMPTED MURRAY DUNK!
WILL BE POSTING AS SOON AS IT'S ON THE NET.
Russell with a quick trigger from downtown, and he's already got more three pointers made than in Game 1!
Porter puts it on the deck and finishes with the lay up. He's got the first five points of Denver's night.
Russell steps into a three ball in transition and drills it from the wing! What a sight to see if you're a Lakers fan!
MPJ gets this game started with a bang from the corner for three!
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM DENVER!!!
The Nuggets have the best starting five in the West and they are going with their big guns to start the game. There is no surprise there. Mike Malone has gone with the same starting five since last year. If was good enough for an NBA Title last year, why not this year too?
The Lakers came out and took the early lead in Game 1 with this starting five, and they will be hoping to do so again. LeBron and AD are joined by Hachimura, Reaves and Russell. Neither of the three had games to remember in the opener, but LA will need each of them tonight if they are going to steal a win in Denver.
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MVP, MVP, MVP?
It comes as no surprise but it is worth mentioning that Nikola Jokic is in the running for MVP for another year running. The Nuggets center has won two already and just missed out on a third straight last year. The ballot came out today, and he is joined by Luka Donicic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Our Paul Reidy has more.
Taking role
The Lakers ended the regular season as one of the hottest teams in the league, and while LeBron and AD were at the forefront of that excellent run of form it was the role players that were making the difference for LA. That wasn’t the case for the Lakers in Game 1. D’Angelo Russell took a lot of criticism after going 6/20 and hitting just one of his nine three point attempts, but it wasn’t just the Lakers point guard. Rui Hachimura had just 7 points and it took Austin Reaves to long to introduce himself in the opening game of the Lakers playoff campaign. Tonight Darvin Ham is going to have to figure a way to get his other guys involved, but it’s much easier said than done. Denver have big, strong, lengthy defenders that have created havoc for the Lakers over the last five postseason games.
Murray in the building
Nikola Jokic had 12 points in the first quarter of Game 1, but the Nuggets didn’t start to roll until the second quarter when Jamal Murray started to find his rhythm. He hit a couple threes to being the second, and had a behind the back assist to DeAndre Jordan in a matter of minutes. After that, it seemed like everyone started chipping in for Denver. Murray ended the game with 22 points and 10 assists and none of the Nuggets starters had fewer than 12 points in a what turned out to be a complete game for the home team. Mike Malone knows he has one of the best, if not the best, starting five in the league and is going to have to get the best out of them if the Nuggets are going to have a chance of winning back to back titles.
Fit for a king
LeBron can go out and score 40 basically on any night he chooses. He knows it. The Lakers know it. The Nuggets know it. In fact, the Nuggets would welcome it. LeBron, like Nikola Jokic is at his best when he is getting everyone involved. We saw it in LA’s season finale against the Pelicans when LeBron had 12 assists in the first quarter of the game. We saw him do the same thing in the Play-In game against the Pelicans just a few days later. He had 23 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. LeBron had 8 assists in Game 1, but most of those assists went to Anthony Davis while the rest of the teams struggled to find their shots. Tonight, look for James to get the rest of the supporting cast going early .
Game 1 recap
Despite the Nuggets coming into Game 1 having enjoyed substantial rest since their final game of the regular season it was the Lakers who came out looking the fresher side in the first 12 minutes of the game. LA jumped out to an early lead after having to get through a Play-In game in New Orleans. The lead didn’t last too long despite LeBron and AD posting 37 combined points in the first half of Game 1. The Nuggets pulled level by halftime and a 13-0 run midway through the third quarter put Denver in control as Nikola Jokic led his side to an 11 point win posting 32, 12 and 7 assists. The Nuggets got production from each and every one of their starters, while the Lakers only saw LeBron and Davis show up for the series opener.
We are live from Ball Arena
Hello everyone and welcome to the Mile High City where the Denver Nuggets reminded us just how hard it is to beat them on their home court in the playoffs on Saturday night. Tonight they have a chance to double their lead over the Lakers before heading to LA. LeBron, AD and company are going to have to come up with one of their best games of the season if they are going to knock off the defending champions at home. If they don’t they will be facing a must win situation against the Nuggets in Games 3 and 4 back at the Crypto.com Arena.
Lakers vs. Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets landed the first blow on Saturday night beating the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs. Tonight the Nuggets will look to extend their playoff win streak over LA and take a two game lead to Southern Calfornia while the Lakers will try to steal one in Denver and take home court advantage from the Nuggets. AS English will be with you all night, providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of tonight’s game from Ball Arena.