The Denver Nuggets have reached the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history after sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The Nuggets won Game 4 of the series 113-111, behind a triple-double from Nikola Jokic. Jokic scored the winning basket with 51.2 seconds left, to put his team one step closer to their first-ever NBA championship crown.
“We don’t give up,” Jokic said. “I’ve been saying this for five years — when we were bad or when we were good — we don’t give up. And that’s what happened today. They jumped on us the first half, they were better, more aggressive, scoring easily and didn’t miss basically. But in the second half we turned the page and everybody stepped up. It was a collective effort, it’s not just one guy.” More NBA playoffs update here!
Two-time NBA MVP Jokic finished with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists, and was named the Western Conference Finals MVP, becoming the first player to win the MVP award and the Finals MVP award in the same season. He averaged 29.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game, and he led the Nuggets to a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers.
In addition to Jokic, the Nuggets have a number of other key players, including Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, and Monte Morris. Jamal Murray added 25 points, three rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block, while Gordon chipped in 22 points, six rebounds, five assists and two blocks. All of these players are capable of scoring and defending, and they all have a role to play in the team’s success.
The Nuggets are the clear underdogs in the NBA Finals, but they have shown that they can beat anyone on any given night. They have a lot of momentum, and they are playing with a lot of confidence. They are also one of the deepest teams in the NBA, and they have a lot of experience in the playoffs. If they can continue to play their best basketball, they have a chance to make history.
Meanwhile, LeBron James finished with 40 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and two steals, while Anthony Davis added 21 points, 14 rebounds, one assist, three blocks and one steal for the Lakers. The loss ended the Lakers’ incredible turnaround after starting the season 2-10 under new coach Darvin Ham. “Just for me personally, going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about,” James said.
The Nuggets will face the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA Finals. The Miami Heat leads Boston 3-0 in their series, and Game 5 will be played on Tuesday night.