In the most consequential moment of the season — tied 106-106 with 26.3 seconds in a closeout Game 5 against the Lakers — Michael Malone trusted his players. He didn’t call a timeout to set up a play.
“Let the best two-man game in the game go to work and get into their spots,” the Nuggets coach said of his decision. The result was another Jamal Murray game-winner.
PLAYOFF. JAMAL. MURRAY.
— NBA (@NBA) April 30, 2024
His SECOND GAME-WINNER of the series sends Denver to Round 2 🚨 https://t.co/ZiNxo5iNc0 pic.twitter.com/b3AQoCUQIA
Denver wins 108-106 and takes the series 4-1. The Nuggets advance to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round starting Saturday in Denver, a series that may be the best of the next round regardless of conference.
Minnesota will be hard-pressed to put up more of a challenge for Denver than the Lakers did, even if the series only went five games. The Lakers led for about 75% of the minutes in this series, but couldn’t execute as well in the clutch as Denver.
Los Angeles saved its best for last, playing with the desperation of a team not ready for its season to end on Monday night. LeBron James was aggressive, attacking downhill, physical on defense and finished with 30 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds and four steals. It wasn’t just LeBron, the entire Lakers’ defense was physical with Anthony Davis and company standing up to Nikola Jokic as well as anyone can.
Jokic still finished with 25 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists. Murray finished the night with 32 despite being a game-time decision because of a calf injury (Murray had it wrapped all night). He also hit his second game-winner of the series, having done the same thing in Game 2. Malone said it was an emotional scene when Murray decided he was going to try to play Monday.
“He just told me, ‘I’m glad I played because I don’t know if we win if I don’t play tonight.’ I said, ‘Well, that’s the understatement of the year,” Malone recounted. “That kid’s a warrior, man. The bigger the moment, the kid just continues to shine.”
Lead changes, clutch buckets and down-to-the-wire drama...
— NBA (@NBA) April 30, 2024
Relive the CHAOTIC final two minutes that led to the Jamal Murray series-winning shot ‼️ pic.twitter.com/y0cP2dganz
Michael Porter Jr. added 26 points including five 3-pointers, for the Nuggets.
The Lakers head into an offseason where coach Darvin Ham’s job is in jeopardy, LeBron James has a player option and can become a free agent (even if most people expect him to remain a Laker) and there are rumors they could go big game hunting trying to land someone like Trae Young or Dejounte Murray out of Atlanta.
The Lakers played well in this series against the defending champions, how much that impacts decisions this summer remains to be seen. In the end, they fell well short of their goal of contending and it feels like changes are coming to Los Angeles.
