Live updates, tweets, photos, analysis and more from the Denver Nuggets’ Game 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers at Ball Arena in Denver on May 18, 2023.
Game 2 headlines
Jamal Murray’s 23-point fourth quarter stakes Nuggets to 2-0 series lead over Lakers
Nuggets 3-pointers: Anthony Davis disappears, Jamal Murray takes over in Game 2 win for Denver
PHOTOS: Denver Nuggets beat Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of NBA Western Conference Finals
Keeler: Nuggets fans “need to stop” with LeBron James, Lakers conspiracy theories, Reggie Miller, Kenny Smith say
Live updates
FINAL: Nuggets 108, Lakers 103: WHEW, Another gutty win for the Nuggets, who were very much on the ropes in the third quarter. And it’s all thanks to Jamal Murray, who went absolutely nuclear in the fourth quarter. Murray’s final line: 37 points on 11-of-24 shooting with 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals.Two more wins, and the Nuggets are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. — Matt Schubert
Still a game (9 p.m.): Even with Jamal Murray shooting laser beams from his eyes, the Lakers refuse to go away. Anthony Davis’ corner 3, just his third basket of the game, pulls the Lakers to within 99-94 with 3:22 left in the fourth quarter. — Matt Schubert
EXPLOSION!!! (8:53 p.m.): Suddenly, Jamal Murray cannot miss. A 3-pointer in LeBron’s eye gives the Nuggets a nine-point lead. Then Michael Porter Jr. buries another triple on the very next possession. Denver lands the knockout blow it’s been looking for all night. 96-84, Nuggets with 5:32 to go. — Matt Schubert
(8:52 p.m.): Guess Jamal Murray’s bigger than the Bubble. — Mike Singer
(8:47 p.m.): Jamal Murray has made his last five shots after starting the game 3 for 15. Denver desperately needed him to find something while Jokic sat, and he delivered.
Blue Arrow is back (8:46 p.m.): After two and a half forgettable quarters, Jamal Murray has come alive. A stepback 3-pointer gives the Nuggets a four-point lead with 7:09 to go, and Denver makes a run with Jokic resting. Huge development — especially with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the floor for all of those minutes. — Matt Schubert
(8:46 p.m.): Kentucky on Kentucky crime. Jamal step-back on AD. — Mike Singer
(8:43 p.m.): And now Nikola Jokic takes a rest with 9:38 to go. Put a pin in this sequence. — Matt Schubert
(8:40 p.m.) Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray still in to start the fourth quarter. Clearly, Michael Malone is not going to take any chances tonight. — Matt Schubert
Third-quarter update
Bennett Durando, sports reporter: Nikola Jokic beats the third-quarter buzzer again with another unusual bucket. Not sure I’ve ever seen a goal tending buzzer beater. The Nuggets and Lakers, in the first two games of this series, have both had a game in which they were the inferior team for three quarters but hung around regardless. That makes for great theater if you ask me (and perhaps it’s a seven-game omen).
Matt Schubert, deputy sports editor: Considering where this was at the start of the third quarter, the Nuggets have to be really happy being down just three points heading into the fourth quarter. Nikola Jokic (23 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists) desperately needs someone else to come with him.
Sean Keeler, sports columnist: Game 1? Circus trey at the buzzer for Jokic. Game 2? Circus goaltending call at the end of the period. Whatever works. The way this evening’s gone, you’ll take anything you can get. The Joker probably needs to be more of a hero and Jamal Murray less of one down the stretch.
Mark Kiszla, sports columnist: Third-quarter musings: Nuggets and Lakers have dispensed with the formalities and gone straight to the playoff chippiness we know and love.
Here come the Nuggets (8:26 p.m.): Finally, Denver gets the run it needed — and a few buckets from Jamal Murray — to tie the score at 74. Murray absolutely needs to show up over the final 16 minutes of this game. — Matt Schubert
(8:22 p.m.): Bruce Brown bangs a 3, then looked like he turned and had some words for Malik Beasley on the Lakers’ bench. — Mike Singer
(8:08 p.m.): Really slow start for the #Nuggets to open the third quarter. Defense doesn’t look anywhere near as engaged as it needs to be. Shades of Game 1 third quarter. Also, I know AG’s 3-pointer have been inconsistent, but Jamal probably needs to pass that one to him on the wing. — Mike Singer
Halftime analysis
Bennett Durando, sports reporter: That was a slog of a half played almost entirely on the Lakers’ terms. Nuggets should feel OK to be down only five. That has a lot to do with James and AD shooting a combined 5 for 15. I don’t think that even includes LeBron’s fumbled dunk. But Jamal Murray needs to get it going quick.
Sean Keeler, sports columnist: Halftime take: Lakers no longer getting whupped on the boards. Nuggs still getting whupped at the free-throw line. The chess match continues, and Malone better have a counter for the next two periods.
Matt Schubert, deputy sports editor: It appears the series is as simple as this right now: When the Nuggets can rebound and get out in transition, the Lakers are dead. When they can’t, it’s hard — real hard — in the halfcourt. Lakers lead 53-48, but it should probably be more than that.
Mark Kiszla, sports columnist: Halftime musings: Joker is MVP-esque. LeBron muffs a dunk. Refs irritate Denver fans. Nuggets have no answer for Japanese Jordan. Lakers 53-48.
(7:39 p.m.): Bruce Brown tried to stifle a laugh. KCP smiled. Joker clapped. In the event you wanted to know how the Nuggets have perceived the whistle tonight. — Mike Singer
Owning the boards (7:35 p.m.): Ever since the Lakers turned off that rebounding advantage in the third quarter of Game 1, it’s been much more of a slog for the Nuggets. It’s 18-11 in the Lakers’ favor thus far. Thanks to a Nikola Jokic and-one and a transition KCP 3, the lead has been trimmed down to 47-42. — Matt Schubert
Another Porter foul (7:31 p.m.): Anthony Davis bangs into Michael Porter Jr. for an and-one off glass, and now MPJ has three fouls with seven minutes left in the second quarter. Not a great development for the Nuggets. — Matt Schubert
(7:26 p.m.): Ball Arena video scoreboard plays LeBron’s fastbreak flub a couple times, much to the delight of the home crowd. Bucket would’ve given the Lakers a 10-point lead — their biggest of the game. — Mike Singer
What?!?!? (7:26 p.m.): In what absolutely has to be a first, LeBron James just fumbled away two wide open dunk attempts in three possession. Yup, he’s 38. Lakers still lead 40-32 with 7:46 left in the second quarteer. — Matt Schubert
Mute button (7:22 p.m.): I see Nuggets Nation has turned on Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson. I had third quarter of Game 2 as the over-under. Lakers lead 34-27 with 9:34 left in the second quarter. — Matt Schubert
More Rui (7:20 p.m.): Shockingly, stunningly, absurdly, Rui Hachimura remains a problem for the Nuggets. He’s already got 11 and he’s in rhythm. He is 13 for 16 from the field in this series. Washington Wizards management has to be kicking themselves. — Matt Schubert
(7:19 p.m.): Nuggets rotations all kinds of wonky due to foul trouble. They open the second with Bruce, KCP, MPJ, Jeff and AG on the floor. Lakers rip off 7-0 run and Malone calls TO. May be a night where either Joker or Jamal needs to be on the floor at all times. — Mike Singer
First-quarter update
Sean Keeler, sports columnist: Reggie Jackson sighting! That’s good, right? (Silence.) No? (More silence.) The Nuggets are getting dragged into the slop. Can they respond, stop for stop, once King James starts driving to the hoop and dares the refs not to call it? Ya wonder.
Mark Kiszla, sports columnist: First-quarter musings: LA has Bad Bunny and Kendall Jenner in primo celeb seats on floor. Denver counters with Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Wondering if ESPN’s Lisa Salters has ever seen an episode of South Park.
Matt Schubert, deputy sports editor: The pace has been set by L.A. This is the halfcourt slugfest the Lakers wanted. But the Nuggets are hanging. (Side note: I probably wouldn’t have called that a flagrant foul on D’Angelo Russell. But I’m also old.) All tied 27-all.
Bennett Durando, sports reporter: When Rui Hachimura checked in, all eyes were on whether he would guard Nikola Jokic. (Answer: Yes.) Maybe we were too busy with that to properly recognize Hachimura’s offense. He just knifed through Denver’s defense for a smooth layup and finished the first quarter a perfect 3 for 3 from the field. Picking up where he left off in an impressive Game 1.
2:56 1Q. (7:11 p.m.) Foul trouble forces Michael Malone to go more than 8 deep. Reggie Jackson (who?) in game. — Mark Kiszla
Reggie Time (7:08 p.m.): We have ourselves a Reggie Jackson cameo. The Colorado Springs native hasn’t played much these playoffs, but with fouls piling up, he’s going to get his moment. — Matt Schubert
Flagrant foul (7:06 p.m.) D-Lo hard foul on Jamal. Refs going to review it. Jamal walks to the free throw line clapping. Think his earache is feeling just fine. — Mike Singer
(7:02 p.m.) D’Angelo Russell seemed to point at Bruce Brown after draining a 3-pointer, evidently a response to Brown’s comments between games about Russell not playing in the fourth quarter Tuesday. D-lo has six early points tonight and has gotten to the line twice. — Bennett Durando
Foul trouble (6:57 p.m.): Michael Porter Jr., Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Christian Braun all have two fouls barely halfway through the first quarter. Braun staying in after this timeout. — Mike Singer
Brown in transition (6:55 p.m.): The thing that worked in Game 1 — Bruce Brown taking it to D’Angelo Russell any chance he gets in transition — has worked early on in Game 2. Here’s guessing that’s going to continue to be a thing. 20-16, Nuggets with 5:44 left in the first quarter. — Matt Schubert
Vocal fans (6:50 p.m.): This crowd is already frothy. My prediction is Malone gets a tech tonight. — Mike Singer
Lineup change (6:42 p.m.): Lakers coach Darvin Ham opts to throw Jarred Vanderbilt into the starting lineup. Clearly, he doesn’t want to give up the same rebounding advantage early on. — Matt Schubert
Game predictions
Mike Singer, Nuggets beat writer: The Rui, Vando wrinkle on Joker worked for a quarter. It won’t work for an entire game. That means Aaron Gordon’s going to have to step up more than he did in Game 1. He will, paving the way for a 2-0 lead. Nuggets 114, Lakers 112
Sean Keeler, sports columnist: The Lakers are averaging 96.5 points in their two Game 2s prior to tonight, losing both. The Nuggets are averaging 109.5 in their Game 2s, and haven’t left Denver with a split yet. Michael Malone feeds on feeling dissed and overlooked. And the national types have just spent the 30 hours shoving the end of Game 1 in his face? Perfect. Nuggets 108, Lakers 102.
Mark Kiszla, sports columnist: If the Nuggets win tonight, they can book flights to Beantown or South Beach for NBA Finals. But something tells me LeBron James won’t go quietly. Lakers 117, Nuggets 115.
Matt Schubert, deputy sports editor: The Nuggets have yet to face adversity in the playoffs this spring. That changes tonight. Rather than start out flat like Game 1, the Lakers are ready to play from the jump. The rebounding advantage that defined the first game isn’t as pronounced in the Nuggets’ favor. The knock-down shooting of both teams takes a step back. And this turns into a halfcourt slugfest. The result, a narrow Lakers win. Pick: Lakers 105, Nuggets 101.
Bennett Durando, sports reporter: Lakers coach Darvin Ham called this series “that ultimate chess match” after a Game 1 Nuggets win. Feels like Ham and L.A. have made all the right adjustments at all the right times throughout the playoffs. I said before the Western Conference Finals started that Los Angeles would steal a game in Denver. I’m standing by it. Pick: Lakers 115, Nuggets 107
Nuggets-Lakers Game 2: Must reads
Nuggets’ Bruce Brown: “Goal” was to take Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell out of the game
When Bruce Brown lowers his shoulder, not many defenders have the bulk to stop him.
That’s especially true in transition, where Brown rumbled for five of his six made baskets against the Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
When Brown picked his head up and saw Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell staring back at him, he took it as an invitation to engage.
“I mean we got out in transition, we attacked them, we took D-lo out the game,” Brown said Wednesday after the Nuggets’ film session in the wake of their Game 1 victory. “That was our goal to get him involved in everything.” Read more…
Nuggets vs. Lakers: Three keys to victory in Game 2 of Western Conference Finals
The first chapter of the 2023 Western Conference Finals certainly didn’t lack for thrills. But it did lack defense.
The Nuggets escaped Game 1 with a riveting 132-126 win over the Lakers on Tuesday. Still unbeaten at home in these playoffs, Denver has an opportunity to move the series to Los Angeles with a 2-0 lead Thursday (6:30 p.m. MT, ESPN) at Ball Arena.
Here are three keys to Game 2 victory: Read more…
These are not your grandfather’s Nuggets. In a basketball city haunted by the ghosts of nearly 50 years of playoff failure, Nikola Jokic and his teammates refused to run and hide when LeBron James dared them to be spooked by the Los Angeles Lakers’ championship mystique.
After blowing all but a nervous fraction of a 21-point lead, the Nuggets held off L.A. for a 132-126 victory Tuesday in the series-opener of the Western Conference Finals at Ball Arena.
“I don’t think there was any panic, there was poise,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said when asked how his team survived a furious second-half comeback by the Lakers. Read more…
Michael Porter Jr. is a closer, OK? And not the Wade Davis kind. He won’t ruin two hours of good work with 10 minutes of madness. He won’t turn your stomach to mush or a sure victory into a slasher film.
“He came up to me during the Phoenix series and said, ‘Listen, man, if you want to get Bruce (Brown) in at the end of a game, whatever you think is going to help us win the game, I just want to win,’” Nuggets coach Michael Malone recalled after MPJ’s double-double (15 points, 10 boards), along with a clutch steal late, helped the hosts escape Tuesday night with a 1-0 series lead over the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
“So it’s just another example of a guy being selfless, realizing that this is much bigger than any individual. This is about the collective.”
The stats say — not so much say as scream — that the best thing for the Nuggets collectively is for Porter to be on the floor in crunch time late. Scoreboard be danged. Read more…
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