LOS ANGELES: Denver Nuggets, led by Nikola Jokic, staged a powerful comeback within the second half to safe a 4-0 sweep over the Los Angeles Lakers within the Western Convention championship on Monday.
This victory propelled the Nuggets to their first-ever look within the NBA Finals.
Jokic, a two-time NBA Most Priceless Participant, performed a pivotal function, contributing 30 factors because the Nuggets overturned a 15-point halftime deficit. Their resounding 113-111 win on the Crypto.com Area marked the top of LeBron James and the Lakers’ postseason journey.
James had single-handedly retaining the Lakers’ season alive after scoring 31 factors in a powerful first-half show that left the 17-time NBA champions main 73-58 at half-time.
However Jokic led a resurgent Nuggets offense within the third quarter, scoring 13 factors because the Western Convention high seeds outscored the Lakers 36-16 to show the competition on its head.
A dramatic fourth-quarter finale noticed Jokic put Denver 113-111 forward with a sometimes barnstorming driving layup by heavy site visitors with 51.7sec remaining.
With 4 seconds remaining James had one final probability to tie it up and power additional time, however his tried driving floater was blocked by Denver’s Aaron Gordon to go away the Nuggets celebrating a well-known win.
Denver — one among 11 groups within the league who’ve by no means gained the NBA championship — will face both the Miami Warmth or Boston Celtics within the finals.
Miami, main Boston 3-0, can clinch their place within the finals with a victory at house on Tuesday.
The Nuggets will head into the finals brimming with confidence that they’ll finish their near-half-century await a maiden NBA crown after one other composed all-round efficiency proved an excessive amount of for the Lakers.
The 38-year-old James completed with 40 factors, 10 rebounds and 9 assists for the Lakers in a heroic try and preserve the collection alive.
However the Lakers’ supporting solid as soon as once more didn’t step up when it mattered, with a collection of missed baskets within the fourth quarter permitting the Nuggets to carry on to their slender benefit to clinch victory.