![]() Lakers coach Darvin Ham was highly complimentary of the two-time MVP before the game. By halftime, he had 19 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists. Jokic morphed into an unmovable grizzly bear, as dangerous on the offensive glass as he was on the defensive one. He bulldozed the Lakers on the glass, outrebounding them himself, 16-13 in the first half. Though Nuggets fans had been treated to his dominance all season, Tuesday night was something different. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drains game-winning shot as Thunder knock off Nuggets in DenverĪs Jokic jogged to the scorer’s table in the second quarter to check back in, the crowd buzzed with anticipation. 1 defense entering this round of the playoffs. That was readily apparent in a rousing first half that saw the Nuggets stake a 72-54 lead, throttling and dissecting what had been the No. I don’t feel guys that are being like overly tight.” “I think our guys have been great through the first round and the second round, and here we are back in the Western Conference Finals. “Just being around our guys and knowing them the way I do, you get a feel for guys and understand where they’re at,” Malone said before the game. Malone said on Monday that the conference finals was an opportunity and swore he sensed no pressure on his team. Heading into the fourth, the Nuggets were up 106-92. Denver needed it having conceded 38 points in the quarter. After the seas parted, and Bruce Brown hammered a jam through the lane, Jokic ended the quarter with his preposterous 3-point buzzer beater. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)ĭavis rained in jump shots from the mid-range, testing and working Jokic defensively, but he was indefatigable. Jamal Murray (27) of the Denver Nuggets scores over Lonnie Walker IV (4) of the Los Angeles Lakers as the seconds tick off the clock during the second quarter at Ball Arena in Denver on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. “That spin move (on Davis) was tough,” Caldwell-Pope said of Jokic. This late in the season, Jokic’s moves were still impressing his teammates. Former Laker Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the beneficiary on many of those dimes. Midway through the third, his triple-double was secure, denoting another notch on his historic playoff march. He bludgeoned Davis, then once he had the attention of the Lakers’ interior he carved them up with sublime passing. From there, Jokic put on an offensive clinic. He sank back-to-back 3-pointers to get Denver’s offense in gear and then handed off to Jokic, his favorite dance partner. Game 2 is Thursday night.Īfter catching a rhythm to end the first half, Murray picked up right where he left off in the third quarter. It was Jokic’s fourth triple-double in his past five playoff games.ĭenver nearly spoiled a 47-30 rebounding advantage, which almost always portends a victory. He finished with 34 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists, routinely dicing Davis inside. Though his 3-point buzzer-beater was incredible, Jokic’s overall game was mesmerizing, too. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) Nikola Jokic (15) of the Denver Nuggets shrugs off Rui Hachimura (28) of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter at Ball Arena in Denver on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. “We’re up 1-0, so that beats the alternative,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone when asked about his relief. ![]() ![]() Their fourth-quarter parade to the free-throw line kept it close. Davis finished with 40 points, while James added 26 points and 12 rebounds. The Nuggets survived despite a porous second-half defense that gave up 72 points. The Nuggets’ 132-126 win over the Lakers staked Denver to a 1-0 series lead after Los Angeles cut a 21-point deficit to just three on multiple occasions in the fourth quarter.īall Arena held its collective breath and only exhaled when LeBron James turned it over with 18 seconds left in regulation, all but securing the victory. Jokic’s jaw-dropping 3-pointer to close the third quarter served as the capstone moment of Tuesday’s riveting Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close MenuĪnthony Davis stared.
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