Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets sent the Los Angeles Lakers home on Monday night. Jamal would hit the daggering game winner with 3.6 seconds left and would score 32 points in the game. This sent LeBron James to his earliest playoff exit in his career.
But the big question is, are the Denver Nuggets the Lakers new daddy? Well it obviously is not a new thing, in the past 13 matchups, the Nuggets are 12-1 and against the Lakers. They are also 9-1 in the last two playoff series against them.
Jamal Murray was dealing with a strained left calf before the game and was expected to sit this one out. But without him, I don’t know if the Nuggets would have won this game. According to ESPN, he said “I’m just glad they listened to me — and listened to me listening to my body — and just trusting me with it.”
Jamal has dealt with many injuries in the past, including an ACL Injury in the 2020-21 season.
The Nuggets Guard also hit the franchise first playoff buzzer-beater in Game 2 of the Western Conference first round series. He is the first player in the last 25 seasons with multiple go-ahead shots in the final 5 seconds in any single playoff series.
Nikola Jokic, a possible 3 time MVP had a suprising seven turnovers this game. It was a slow game for him and they had to get him going. Even with that slump and struggle, he still managed to almost get his 19th playoff triple double with 25 points, 20 rebounds, and 9 assists.
Michael Porter Jr. was another crucial player for the Nuggets, scoring 26 points of his own.
On the other hand with the Lakers, James had 30 points and 11 assists. Anthony Davis with 17 points and 15 rebounds. During the game Davis seemed to have a bothered left shoulder after bumping into Porter Jr.
Denver won the game with a score of 108-106 in a Game 5 that featured over 16 lead changes and 10 ties. This win would send The Denver Nuggets in the second round against a tough matchup in the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Nuggets are yet to lose a home game in the playoffs, with having a 3-0 record at home.
The Nuggets would face the Lakers in the first of the 2023-24 Regular Season and beating them. The crowd was hyped and were chanting “Who’s your daddy” to the Lakers. Lakers Daddy was created by Michael Malone during their championship parade.
The Denver Nuggets swept the Lakers in the Western Conference finals last year on their way to winning their first NBA Championship. But this season, they took a different route, facing them in the first round and knocking them out in 5 games. I think we can all agree that Michael Malone and Denver Nuggets are on top compared to the Lakers.
