Playoff. Jamal. Murray.
For the first time since December of 2022, the Denver Nuggets did not seem like they had enough to get past the Los Angeles Lakers. Denver had won 9 consecutive games heading into Game 2, including a double-digit defeat over the Lakers in the first game of this first-round series. But Monday felt different. Shots were rimming out for Denver. Over and over and over. The Lakers were relentless on offense. The defending champions were in trouble.
Anthony Davis was sensational in the first half and scored 24 points on 11-of-12 shots. That gave Los Angeles a 15-point lead at the halftime break, which they then grew to 20 points in the third quarter. All hope appeared to be lost. Murray was having a rough shooting night, making just 3-of-16 field goals heading into the fourth quarter, and Nikola Jokić was having a quiet night by his standards and took just 5 total shots before the halftime break.
But then, the Nuggets started to chip away at the massive deficit. Jokić hit some shots late in the third quarter, and Denver's bench unit with Aaron Gordon at center flattened the Laker offense at the beginning of the fourth with their switching. That bought Denver enough time for Jokić to come back in, and he went to work against Davis on a series of post-ups. That got Denver within 2 points.
Murray finally broke his slump on a layup, but then LeBron James and D'Angelo Russell made shots at the rim. Murray made another rhythm jumper with 30 seconds remaining to tie the game up, and it was the Lakers' turn to make something happen. However, James missed an open jump shot, Michael Porter Jr. grabbed the rebound, and head coach Michael Malone elected to not call a timeout.
Denver ran a double pick-and-roll on the other end, which got Davis switched onto Murray, and Jamal sized him up. He then drove hard to his right, pulled back, and tossed up a stepback jumper over the outstretched arms of Davis.
Cash. Jamal Murray called game.
Denver has a 2-0 lead in the potential seven-game series. That's not a death sentence for the Lakers, but it's certainly an uphill battle. Teams that take the first two games of an NBA playoff series end up winning that series 92.7 percent of the time. Denver has now defeated Los Angeles ten consecutive times.
Murray finished with 20 points and 5 assists. 14 of his points occurred in the fourth quarter. Again, a gamer.
Jokić absolutely filled the box score with 27 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists. This was the 17th triple-double of his playoff career.
Porter Jr. also had an amazing game and tallied 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting, 6-of-10 from three-point range, and 9 rebounds.
Denver now heads to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4. The series will pick up on Thursday at 8:00 p.m. MT at the Crypto.com Arena.