In the first game of the Denver Nuggets’ first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers, Jamal Murray shot a dismal 9 of 24 from the field. In the opening moments of Game 2, he was just as difficult on the scoreboard. The Nuggets’ deficit in the second half reached as high as 20 points. When it came to LeBron James and Anthony Davis pick-and-rolls, they had absolutely no defense. If they had lost, the series would have ended with a tie in Los Angeles. The Lakers had a chance to win the home-court advantage.
The Nuggets then pulled off one of the most incredible comebacks in postseason history. The Lakers were unable to come to a halt, appearing worn out from playing at an altitude. Over and over again, Murray and Nikola Jokic dominated the Lakers in pick-and-roll. With just 57.1 seconds remaining, Murray made two free throws to knot the score at 97 all.
Once more, he tied the game with a mid-range jumper at 99 all. Finally, Murray got a chance to win the game as the Nuggets made up for James’ missed 3-pointer. He drove to the rim, swerved to the corner, went up, faded away, and swam, Davis covering him.
In addition to giving the Nuggets a 2-0 lead in the series against the Lakers, the victory pushes their winning run against Los Angeles to eleven games. The Nuggets starters continued their winning streak, which began this game with a 37-0 record overall when they hosted a Western Conference team.
Above all, though, they drove a dagger into the opponents’ hearts. When the Nuggets faced the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals in 2020, they came dangerously close to pulling off a similar victory. Davis’ game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer handed the Lakers an incredible victory, a 2-0 series lead, and ultimately helped propel them to the Finals. Murray has now paid it forward, and if the Nuggets get their way, the outcome will be the same.
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