Nuggets survive Game 1 vs. Lakers in Western Conference Finals with 132-126 win
Nuggets survive Game 1 vs. Lakers in Western Conference Finals 132-126 win as Nikola Jokic’s 34 points stave off LA’s late comeback
- The Nuggets saw a 21-point lead erased to just three at the end of the fourth quarter
- But the hosts kept their nerve to go undefeated at home this postseason
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The Nuggets survived a furious second half comeback from the Lakers to win Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals 132–126 after a typically stellar performance from Nikola Jokic.
Denver led by as many as 21 on Monday night, but LA improved the hosts’ lead toward the end of the third quarter, cutting it to just three with 3:23 left in the fourth quarter on a three-pointer by Austin Reaves.
From there, the hosts held on and had the series advantage after 72 points in the second half.
“We’re going for the win,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone after the game.
“We have protected our home ground and victories are hard to come by at this time of the season. But our defense needs to be a lot better.’
Nikola Jokic was brilliant for the Nuggets, totaling 34 points and 21 rebounds on Monday
LeBron James flirted with a triple double and finished with 26 points, 12 boards and nine assists
Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson was present as the Nuggets took Game 1
Looking like they belonged against the 2020 NBA champions, the Nuggets received contributions from above and below the roster to help LeBron James and Co. trailing 1-0 in the series.
Jamal Murray (31 point points), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (21) and Michael Porter Jr. (15) all helped ease the scoring pressure on Jokic, while Bruce Brown served as the team’s spark plug with 16 points off the bench.
Meanwhile, the Lakers trailed 12 after the first quarter and despite scoring 72 points in the second half, they couldn’t get enough spots as they played catch-up pretty much the entire way.
For the visitors, Anthony Davis led the way with an impressive 40-point effort, while LeBron James flirted with a triple-double, recording 26 points, 12 boards and nine assists.
Austin Reaves also added 23 points, while Rui Hachimura had 17 off the bench.
With the win, the Nuggets moved to 7-0 at home this postseason and came within three wins of the NBA Finals.
Game 2 takes place in Denver on Thursday at 8:30ET.
Austin Reaves had 23 points, 11 of them in the fourth quarter, but the Lakers fell short
Bruce Brown was huge for the Nuggets off the bench, scoring 16 points in the win