Jamal Muray's ridiculous game-winner capped off last night's matchup between the Lakers and the Nuggets. In what was the best game of the playoffs so far, the Nuggets have taken a commanding 2-0 lead in the series. Despite facing a 20-point deficit in the second half, Denver kept chipping away at the Lakers. Eventually, they were back in the game despite heroics from Anthony Davis and LeBron James. The final minute of the game was a back-and-forth display, but after a missed LeBron James 3-pointer, the Nuggets had the ball for the last possession, tied at 99. Despite a poor evening shooting the ball, Jamal Murray took and made the biggest shot of the game, winning the Nuggets the game101-99.
The game was fantastic. Anthony Davis played one of the best games of his playoff career, putting up 32 points and causing Nikola Jokic Problems on the defense. LeBron had a spectacular all-around game, making big plays on both sides of the court. Although the Lakers superstars played like superstars, the Nuggets were able to adjust and walk down LA. The defending champs made erasing that 20-point deficit seem easy.
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Jamal Murray Hits Game-Winner Over Anthony Davis
Jamal Murray did not have a great shooting performance. The Nuggets point guard missed a ton of open looks, especially early on. Murray scored 20 points, shooting 9-24 from the field, but started to heat up in the second half. Murray elevated his game in crunch time and scored 14 of his 20 in the fourth. MVP Nikola Jokic looked for Murrary throughout the game even though he was struggling, and he continued to try to find his dance partner during crunch time. In the closing seconds, Murray gets the switch on Anthony Davis and hits a clutch mid-range shot over good defense as time expired.
The Lakers are in a bad position. They are down 2-0 to a team they have now lost ten straight games to. LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been great, but they just haven't been enough. The Lakers had their chance with a 20-point lead in the second half, but decision-making and poor defensive strategy allowed Denver to chip away. The series could easily be tied going back to LA. LeBron and the Lakers will have a tough time reversing this series, especially if Murray and Jokic really start cooking.
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