Nuggets put Lakers in 0-2 hole in Western Conference Finals 108-103 victory as Denver’s Jamal Murray outscores LA’s LeBron James in crucial fourth quarter to finish with 37 points
- Jamal Murray flipped a switch after a poor first three quarters for the Nuggets
- And on the other hand, Lebron James only scored six points in the closing period
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The Nuggets came alive in the fourth quarter on Thursday and took a 2-0 lead over the Lakers by winning 108-103 on a late push from Jamal Murray.
The Canadian guard was only 5-17 going into the fourth quarter with Denver trailing by three going into that period.
But Murray, the team’s second top goalscorer this season behind Nikola Jokic, finally came alive in the final frame, scoring 23 points in the final 12 minutes as LA’s attack came to a halt.
Aside from dealing with an ear infection, Murray continues to push past his 2021 ACL tear that saw him miss all of last season and bled into this season as he started the season slow.
“I saw the dark days come back from that cruciate ligament [injury]said Nuggets coach Michael Malone.
Jamal Murray scored 23 points in the fourth quarter as Denver took a 2-0 lead
LeBron James scored 22 points in the loss, but only scored six points in a quiet fourth quarter
Nikola Jokic closes on a shot from Anthony Davis, who shot just 4-15 on the night in Denver
“So for him to play here at the level he’s playing at, I’m just so happy for the man, the young man.”
Jokic also helped Denver’s cause with another postseason triple-double, as he totaled 23 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists.
Lakers coach Darvin Ham restored forward Jarred Vanderbilt to the starting lineup after starting Dennis Schroeder in Game 1, as LA continues to try to throw Jokic off his game with different looks.
But Vanderbilt played just 17 minutes as the two-time MVP had another strong performance.
“The Joker is just one of those guys, you have to change matchups, you have to change the messaging,” Ham said.
“He’ll make you work, he’ll let you go into your bag of tricks to slow him down.”
Michael Porter Jr. added 16 points for the Nuggets along with seven rebounds
NFL legend and former Denver Bronco Peyton Manning attended the game at his old home
The Lakers led by as many as 11, but only scored 24 points in the fourth quarter and are now at home on Saturday for a virtual must-win Game 3.
LeBron James scored 22 in the loss – with just six in the fourth quarter – and Anthony Davis had 18 as Austin Reaves added 22.
Rui Hachimura also had 21 points off the bench.
But it wasn’t an efficient night for Davis, who shot 4-15 from the field and had four turnovers.
“Overall, the energy was there, the effort was there… we just caught a bad stretch,” Ham said.
James also had three turnovers in the match.