Denver (KKTV) Thanks to Nikola Jokic‘s triple-double, the Denver Nuggets had to overcome the Los Angeles Lakers 119-107 in order to raise their championship flag on Tuesday night.
Jokic had 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists at the end of the NBA regular season. Jamal Murray had 21, Michael Porter Jr. had 12, Aaron Gordon had 15, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 20.
LeBron James led all starters for LA with 21 points in 29 minutes of play; his playing time will be closely scrutinized as he approaches his 21st season.
Read More: Al Nassr defeated Al Duhail in a dramatic match.
The Lakers were 18 points behind at the start of the game, but by halftime, they had closed the gap to 63-54. They used a 13-0 run in the third and fourth quarters to cut the deficit to 87-84, but Aaron Gordon’s 3-pointer ended the surge.
The Lakers were never able to close the gap.
James’ basket with just over five minutes remaining trimmed Los Angeles’ advantage to 103-96. The Nuggets defeated the Lakers with a 10-3 run that included 3-pointers from Murray and Porter during a timeout.
The Nuggets received their gold, diamond-encrusted championship rings at a pregame ceremony. Murray told Gordon, who was also wearing a microphone, “I might play the first quarter with it!”
Denver’s head coach, Michael Malone, enthused, “Last year was amazing,” as he displayed his title ring. The ring materialized. Who would want one more? Shouldn’t we go grab it?
After the Nuggets’ sweeping of the Lakers and their victory over Miami in five games and their 16-4 postseason record, this summer will signal the beginning of the celebrations in Sombor, Serbia, where Jokic was born and bred.
Share this content:
One Comment