Nuggets win playoff thriller against the Lakers

Jamal Murray (YouTube)

In simply one of the best basketball games in playoff history, maybe NBA history, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 101-99. Game two of the first round series between the Nuggets and Lakers simply had everything. It included a sensational comeback, exceptional play from one of the greatest players of all-time and the NBA’s best active player, and a buzzer beater from arguably the best basketball player ever not to be named a NBA All-Star.

The Nuggets were once down 68-48 with 22 minutes left in the game. They then stormed back to outscore the Lakers 53-31.

The statistical star for the Nuggets was center Nikola Jokic of Sombor, Serbia. He had a triple double (27 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists). Small forward Michael Porter Jr. of Indianapolis, Indiana had 22 points. However, the Nuggets player with they key shot was Canadian point guard Jamal Murray of Kitchener, Ontario, who had 20 points, and the game-winning buzzer beater as time expired to break a 99-99 deadlock.

Another key player in the game was LeBron James of the Lakers. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer made two impressive three-point shots within a 30-second span of each other in the fourth quarter. The first was from 25 feet and the second was from 27 feet. At the time, the Lakers took a 89-81 lead, but it was not a lead the Lakers could not protect.

As the NBA playoffs resume on Tuesday, there is one interesting statistic to keep in mind. The  home team has a perfect record of 11 wins and zero losses after three days of NBA playoff competition.