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The LA Lakers are back at the Ball Arena on Monday for Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers want to take homecourt advantage from the defending champions before heading into Games 3 and 4 at the Crypto.com Arena.
Coach Darvin Ham made headlines before the game after saying that he doesn't know how to stop Nikola Jokic. But in fairness to Ham, not many coaches in the league have figured out the two-time MVP and reigning NBA Finals MVP.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets are looking to take a 2-0 lead before the series shifts to Los Angeles. It will be a huge advantage given that they have not lost to the Lakers since Dec. 16, 2022.
LA Lakers vs Denver Nuggets Players Stats and Box Scores
LA Lakers Players Stats and Box Scores
Anthony Davis had a great game with 32 points and 11 rebounds, while LeBron James added 26 points, eight rebounds and 12 assists. D'Angelo Russell came out firing and finished with 23 points and went 7-for-11 from beyond the arc.
Denver Nuggets Players Stats and Box Scores
Nikola Jokic had a monster game for the Denver Nuggets, finishing with 27 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists.
Michael Porter Jr. was clutch and had 22 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the 3-point area. Jamal Murray, who was the hero of the game, struggled with 20 points on 24 shots.
LA Lakers blow 20-point lead, Jamal Murray seals Nuggets win at the buzzer
The LA Lakers looked dominant in the first half, building a double-digit lead entering the third quarter. D'Angelo Russell started the game hot, while Anthony Davis nearly had a perfect half. LeBron James was more of a facilitator as the Denver Nuggets looked defeated.
However, the Nuggets showed the heart of a champion by coming back from a 20-point deficit. They chopped away the lead late in the third quarter but entered the final period down by 10 points.
Nikola Jokic forced his way into the paint and was the reason why the Nuggets got back in the game. Jokic's and-one over Anthony Davis with around two minutes left trimmed the lead down to one.
LeBron James put the Lakers back up by three points, but Michael Porter Jr. tied the game at 95 with a minute remaining. D'Angelo Russell got the lead back before Jamal Murray's two free throws tied the game again. James made a layup, but Murray cancelled it with his jump shot.
"King James" missed a potentially game-winning 3-point shot, but a lot of time was left. Murray got the ball, ran down the clock and hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer to give the Nuggets a 101-99 victory.
