The LA Lakers and the Denver Nuggets traded baskets in the fourth quarter of Game 4 on Monday night. But in the end, it was a clutch Jamal Murray who sunk LA's hopes of staying alive as his bucket saw the Nuggets win 108-106 and eliminate the Lakers from the playoffs. This was the second time in the series that Murray showcased his pyrotechnics in the final seconds. As a result, the Purple and Gold hit the offseason early after going down 4-1 to Denver in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
The final quarter though wasn't without drama as a foul call was called on Anthony Davis when he was guarding Nikola Jokic. It was a successful one where the contact between Davis and Nikola Jokic was marginal and LA was awarded possession of the ball. But the decision also meant that the Lakers lost a timeout while winning the challenge. This was called out by former NBA star Charles Barkley who felt it was an unfair move
"Win the challenge, and lose the timeout. That doesn't seem fair to me."
While Barkley's thoughts surely are food for thought, it doesn't change the outcome of the game. LA has now been ousted from the playoffs by the Nuggets for the second time in as many seasons, only this time it wasn't a clean sweep.
