Jamal Murray wins game 2 against the Lakers, sending the Nuggets to the second round.

In spite of a strained calf, Jamal Murray scored 32 points and made the game-winning basket with 3.6 seconds remaining as the Denver Nuggets, the reigning NBA champions, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 108-106 on Monday night to eliminate LeBron James from the postseason once more.

With 26 seconds remaining, James’ two free throws tied the score at 106. The Nuggets, like they did in Game 2, decided not to call a timeout, and Murray grabbed the ball on a high screen and rolled to his left, upsetting Austin Reaves as he crossed the lane and swished the 14-foot shot.

Michael Porter Jr. scored 26 points, while Nikola Jokic, who had an unusual seven turnovers, came dangerously close to recording his 19th career playoff triple-double with 25 points, 20 rebounds, and nine assists.

In the second half, Davis banged his left shoulder against MPJ, appearing to be bothered. James finished with 30 points, 11 assists, and 15 rebounds.

Next weekend, the Nuggets will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the playoffs. Denver, home of the Nuggets, who are 36-8 overall and 3-0 in the postseason, leads the Western Conference. That series will begin there.

The Nuggets are a wounded team that could use some rest. They trailed for roughly three-fourths of the minutes in this series and struggled through protracted shooting slumps.

For the 12th time in their previous 13 games, the Nuggets defeated the Lakers, who they had swept in the Western Conference finals the previous summer on their route to the team’s first NBA title.

The Phoenix Suns’ six-game victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021 marked James’ only other playoff elimination in the first round.
The Nuggets went on a 21-10 run to take an 81-79 lead into the fourth quarter, which was close until the buzzer. The Lakers had led 53-50 at halftime and had extended the lead to nine points.

The Lakers were forced to leave the game early even though they had pushed the reigning champions to the limit in each of the five games, as Taurean Prince missed a half-court attempt following Murray’s game-winning three-pointer.