DENVER — It was the swish heard ’round the basketball world.
As time expired, with 7-foot- Anthony Davis leaping to contest, Jamal Murray drilled a 15-footer jumper to lift the Denver Nuggets past the Los Angeles Lakers, 101-99, on Monday night at the Ball Arena.
The buzzer-beater was the apex of Denver’s 20-point, second-half comeback that gave the Nuggets a 2-0 lead over the Lakers in the NBA Western Conference opening-round series.
Murray had struggled shooting to start Game 2, just 8-of-23 from the field, but he made the one that mattered to finish with 20 points and 5 dimes in 40 minutes of action.
“I told my teammates when I was struggling ‘I’m gonna look for y’all’ and every single one of them told me to keep shooting…They told me to keep staying aggressive and keep looking for it,” a relieved Murray told reportersathis post-game press conference.
It was a crushing loss for the Lakers who got superb performances from their star players.
LeBron James finished with 26 points and 8 assists while Anthony Davis had 32 and 11 rebounds. After going 1-for-9 from long distance in Game 2, D’Angelo Russell bounced back with 7 triples for 23 points.
All of that production, plus a 68-48 third-quarter lead weren’t enough to prevent the Nuggets from beating LA for the 10th straight time.
Two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic tormented the Lakers yet again, this time courtesy of a a triple-double worth 27 points, 20 boards and 10 assists. Michael Porter added 22 points and Aaron Gordon pitched in 14 for Denver.
