Murray Makes Presence Known, Powers Nuggets to Game Two Win Against Lakers
Photo Credit: AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
After hitting a rainbow 16-footer while the buzzer sounded in the background, Jamal Murray led the Denver Nuggets(57-25 after the win) to yet another win against the Los Angeles Lakers(47-35 after the loss) by a score of 101-99, according to ESPN and Pro Basketball Reference. The Nuggets, with the win, take a 2-0 series lead against the Lakers into Los Angeles.
Jamal Murray scored the last four points of the game, all while having to deal with LeBron James’s constant refusal to quit on the other end of the ball. Though James scored with 47 seconds remaining in the game to put the Lakers up by two points, Murray’s clutch jumpers proved too much to overcome for the Lakers, as Murray drained two jumpers to end the game.
Photo Credit: AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
While the loss is a tough one to deal with for the Lakers, the Lakers’ shooting ability was much improved when compared to the first game against the Nuggets. The Lakers saw a jump in three-point percentage from 27.6% to 43.4%. While their field goal percentage remained relatively the same, shooting 43.4% is sure to drastically improve the Lakers chances of defeating the defending NBA Champions.
Photo Credit: Ron Chenoy, USA TODAY Sports
In addition to having a jump in three-point percentage, the second game saw more contribution from the Lakers’ starters. While in the first game, the Lakers’ starters combined for 92 points, they upped that total to 93 in the second game, according to Pro Basketball Reference. Seeing as the Lakers’ loss margin was lower in the second game compared to the first, it only makes sense that higher production from players like Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura would put Los Angeles into a good position to make the series closer than initially imagined.
Photo Credit: Jack Dempsey, Associated Press
The Denver Nuggets can only expect to continue their offensive and defensive production. While Nikola Jokić led the Nuggets in scoring with 27 points in the second game against the Lakers, the Nuggets had two other starters score 20 points, with Murray having some of his most important points scored in crunch time towards the end of the close battle.
With the series heading to Los Angeles, Darvin Ham’s squad hoped to ride their home field advantage to capture the next two games of the series.
