In Denver, the home-court advantage held steady as the Nuggets closed out a tight 103-108 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, pushing the West finals to a 2-0 lead. Jamal Murray delivered a 37-point, 10-rebound night, waking up in the fourth quarter after a slower start where he mustered just 14 points on 5-for-17 shooting through the first three periods. A burst of 23 points in the final stanza helped seal the deal, capped by a dramatic 6-for-7 shooting sequence that deflated the Lakers who had controlled play for stretches. Nikola Jokic added a new triple-double, finishing with 23 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists and 3 steals, while Michael Porter Jr. contributed 16 points and 7 rebounds, with Bruce Brown tallying 12.
LeBron James posted six made three-pointers on his way to 22 points, alongside 9 rebounds and 10 assists that pushed his playoff tally toward a milestone. Austin Reaves added 22 points, and Rui Hachimura contributed 21, but the Lakers paid a heavy price for Anthony Davis’ off night. Despite finishing with a solid line (18 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks), Davis struggled with efficiency, going 4-for-15 from the floor. Outside of Reaves, who went 5-for-9 from long range, the Lakers’ 3-point shooting languished at 3-for-21. The result underscored Denver’s resilience even when shooting setbacks crept in and its star duo of Jokic and Murray found late momentum.
From the opening minutes, the game exhibited a rare balance, with the first quarter leaning toward a tight, even contest and finishing 27-27 as both teams traded blows. The evening also carried unusual tensions—players and coaches signaling displeasure with refereeing decisions, a scene not often seen in the NBA at this level. D’Angelo Russell was involved in a controversial flagrant foul call during a late surge, prompting a video review that eventually went against the Lakers’ guard. The early standoff highlighted how psychological pressure and officiating can tilt momentum in a high-stakes matchup.
The second period swung dramatically in Lakers’ favor, with a 20-9 surge that helped the purple-and-gold push to a 47-36 lead, led by Rui Hachimura’s all-around performance off the bench. Hachimura converted a perfect 7-for-7 finish and added 2-for-2 from the stripe, totaling 17 points by halftime. When he sat, a wave of miscues by Los Angeles followed, allowing Denver to claw back and narrow the gap to 49-48. The half closed with the Lakers ahead 53-48 after a late push that preserved momentum in their favor, even as Denver’s defense tightened in the closing moments of the period.
Los Angeles found more of its offense in the third, though Hachimura remained the lone scorer above ten for the visitors. LeBron James contributed five boards and five assists in the period, while Davis managed 7 points on 6-for-6 shooting but faced a rough night overall. Denver relied on Jokic near a near-double-double with 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists on 6-for-10 shooting, while Murray posted 10 points and 5 assists but 3-for-13 shooting, underscoring the challenge of containing the Lakers’ multi-pronged attack. A decisive 10-0 run by Denver late in the period vaulted them to a 74-74 tie, and the frame concluded with a 79-76 Lakers edge after a late Davis drive halted Jokic from slamming home a potential score.
Entering the final period, Denver staged a late resurgence, quickly flipping the script with a 5-20 burst that signaled a turning point in the game. The Nuggets, who had stumbled through much of the third and into the fourth, found a spark in Murray, who, after a rough three-quarters stretch, exploded for 23 points and energy on both ends. His clutch play helped erase a 10-32 shooting line from earlier and set the stage for a nerve-wracking finish. The Lakers clung to hope with a 12-2 run that briefly put them back in front, but Murray’s free throws provided the knockout blows as Denver clinched a hard-fought victory to take a 2-0 series lead over Los Angeles. The night closed with a reminder that the Nuggets can endure cold spells and still find late-game solutions, turning a challenging matchup into a statement win. Basketball Analysis, 2024 playoffs