For the first time in franchise history, the Denver Nuggets are NBA Finals-bound!
Despite a stellar performance by Lebron James, Nikola Jokić, and the Nuggets completed the sweep against the Los Angeles Lakers. After dropping a historic 31 points in the first half, it looked like LeBron was going to save his team from elimination. The Lakers had a 73-58 lead heading into halftime. The second half is where the energy shifted.
The Denver Nuggets finally decided to show up and remind us why they’ve been the dominant team out West, all season long. The Nuggets would outscore the Lakers, 36-16 in the third quarter, and retake control of the game after erasing a large deficit. Down to the final minutes, the Nuggets would hold the Lakers off from a chance at overtime, winning 113-111.
4-0.
A pivotal turning point for the Nuggets was when their star player, Jokić, simply took over the boards, recording 10 rebounds in the third quarter. He would also contribute 13 points, fueling the Nuggets’ comeback. While their star player showed up in a big way, the Nuggets’, Jamal Murray, also made big-time plays, adding 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting. Aaron Gordon would also prove to be a valuable player, finishing with 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting. What secured the Nuggets’ win, however, was Murray’s defensive play in the final seconds as the Lakers’ attempted a game-tying, or winning, shot.
“We came to the consensus that this is one of the best teams, if not the best team, we’ve played together for all four years. Jus well-orchestrated, well put together.” – Lebron James on the Nuggets
Jokic x Bron x AD
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 23, 2023
All respect 🤝 pic.twitter.com/FsPurFFP62
Nikola Jokic of the @nuggets accepts the Earvin 'Magic' Johnson Trophy, awarded to the Western Conference Finals MVP 👏 pic.twitter.com/dLkR0vNe4V
— NBA (@NBA) May 23, 2023
