DENVER — Jamaal Murray overcame a strained left calf and sat down on management’s advice to score 32 points against the Los Angeles Lakers and score the game-winner with 3.6 seconds left on Monday night.
That sent LeBron James to his first playoff exit, and the Denver Nuggets advanced to the 2nd round with a 108-106 win over 16 lead changes and 10 turnovers, only to have safety Taurean Prince’s half-court stint fall short. It’s timed out.
“Ashlehlehhillill Dong
“These are the shots you dream about as a little kid,” said Murray, who called it “a little bit better.”
The Nuggets point guard is the first player in the last 25 seasons to make multiple shots in the final 5 seconds of a game, according to an ESPN Stats & Information survey. He is the fourth player to do so in a single season.
Despite his dogged determination — and reluctance — Murray never got the chance to publish the series.
“I came in a little early today to see if I could go, and I felt like I could and they didn’t want me to risk it,” said Murray, who warmed up with an ice pack on. For the injured calf. “They said no, they said no.
“And I didn’t say no. I didn’t want to leave my teammates out there,” said Murray, who missed 23 games in 2023-24 with an injury. “We’ve been fighting all season, everybody’s been hurt at some point, everybody’s been through something and I couldn’t live with myself if I couldn’t play this game.
“I’m just glad they listened to me — and listened to me when I listened to my body — and trusted him.”
James’ two free throws tied the score at 106 with 26 seconds left and the Nuggets went into overtime just like they did in Game 2. Murray rolls the ball through a high screen and left, shaking Austin Reaves as he crosses the lane and makes a 14-footer.
“That kid is a fighter, man,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “In the big moment, the boy just continues to shine.”
Nikola Jokic had an extraordinary seven turnovers and narrowly missed his 19th straight playoff triple-double with 25 points, 20 rebounds and 9 assists, and Michael Porter J scored 26.
James had 30 points and 11 assists and Anthony Davis had 17 points and 15 rebounds but appeared to struggle in the second half after bumping Porter’s left shoulder.
The Nuggets advance to a second-round matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves starting next weekend. That streak begins in Denver, where the Nuggets are a conference-best 36-8, including 3-0 in the playoffs.
Not that it was easy.
The Nuggets trailed for three-quarters of the minutes in this series, went on extended shootouts, and are a scrappy bunch that could certainly use the rest.
“First of all, tip your hat to them,” James said. “The defending champs. They’re a great team. They’re well-coached and they’ve made the plays consistently. You give credit where it’s due, that’s for sure.”
Davis matched Murray’s 16 first-half points, and the Lakers led 53-50 at halftime. They pushed that advantage to nine points, but the Nuggets held tight until the buzzer, closing in on a 21-10 run to take an 81-79 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Nuggets beat the Lakers for the 12th time in their last 13 games, after they swept the Lakers in the Western Conference finals last summer en route to the franchise’s first NBA championship.
The other time James lost in the first round of the playoffs was in 2021 when the Phoenix Suns beat LN in six games.
So, this was the shortest of James’ 17 playoff trips, even though the Lakers came close to winning the reigning championship in all five games.
“Despite what happened, I couldn’t be more proud of our staff,” said Lakers coach Darwin Hamm, who is sure to be on the hot seat. “Obviously, the series didn’t start in our favor, it didn’t start the way we wanted, but we fought tooth and nail to win it at home. Our guys had a lot of guts and a lot of character today.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.