After Nikola Jokić’s monster sport within the opener, his pick-and-roll accomplice Jamal Murray took the highlight within the Western Conference finals Thursday evening.
Murray scored 23 of his 37 factors within the fourth quarter, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2-0 lead within the collection.
“He was special,” Jokić stated. “He won us the game basically.”
Murray missed 12 of his 17 pictures by three quarters however discovered his contact within the fourth, going 6 for 7, together with 4 three-pointers, and fueling a 15-1 run that gave Denver a 96-84 lead.
“He made shots at the end of the clock,” LeBron James lamented. “We guard for 24 seconds and he made two big-time shots, one over (Anthony Davis) and one over me. He had his three-point shot going in the fourth. It’s no surprise to me, he’s done it before. Sometimes it’s a never-miss league.”
In all, Denver sank seven threes within the fourth quarter after hitting seven all evening.
“It would have been a lot easier if I had made them in the first half,” stated Murray, who continues to be taking part in by an earache he hasn’t been in a position to shake since Round 2.
Jokić added 23 factors, 17 rebounds and a dozen assists a day after ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters handed the Nuggets the no-respect card by acknowledging that she’d by no means seen the two-time MVP play earlier than Game 1, when he had 34 factors, 21 boards and 14 assists.
“For those that don’t know him, he’s got 13 playoff triple-doubles now,” Malone sneered after Game 2. “It’s just incredible what he continues to do on a nightly basis on the biggest stage in the world.”
As for Jokić, he dismissed the slights on him and his teammates, saying, “It’s nothing new for us.”
Malone was a lot miffed by the Lakers getting all of the pub.
“You win Game 1 and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone stated. “Let’s be honest, the national narrative was, ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’ No one talked about how Nikola just had an historic performance. He’s got 13 (playoff) triple-doubles now, third all-time. What he’s doing is just incredible.
“But their narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola. The narrative was about the Lakers and their adjustments. So you know, you put that in your pipe and you smoke it, you come back and you know what, we’re gonna go up 2-0.”
The Nuggets have by no means been this near reaching the NBA finals of their historical past. Game 3 is Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena, the place James and the Lakers are 8-0 within the playoffs.
Malone stated he reminded Murray heading into the fourth quarter to not fret over his taking pictures woes however to concentrate on contributing in different methods. He heeded that recommendation, grabbing three massive boards on protection and stealing the ball twice in addition to hitting 4-of-5 from deep and 7-of-8 from the stripe.
“Three-point line is what killed us in the fourth,” James stated.
Malone knew that when Murray lastly discovered the web, many extra buckets would comply with.
“We all know … he just has to see one go in,” Malone stated, and when that occurred, “he kind of looked up to the heavens and that’s all he needs. And after that he’s shooting into a hula hoop.”
Just like in Game 1, the Lakers didn’t go down simply. They pulled to 3 factors on Austin Reaves’ jumper earlier than Murray sank two free throws with 12 seconds left and Bruce Brown stole the ball from James, then dribbled out the ultimate eight seconds.
The Nuggets improved to 41-8 at house, greatest within the NBA, together with 8-0 within the playoffs.
James and Reaves each scored 22 for Los Angeles. Davis scored 18 after pouring in 40 within the opener and Rui Hachimra scored 21 factors off the bench.
For a lot of the evening, it appeared as if the Lakers would wrest home-court benefit from the Nuggets, who’re the highest seed for the primary time of their historical past. The Lakers gained the collection openers at Memphis and Golden State to achieve the convention championship.
The excellent protection Hachimura performed on Jokić within the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ loss in Game 1 led many to imagine coach Darvin Ham would begin Hachimura to attempt to stymie the Nuggets’ star middle from the beginning. But as a substitute he got here off the bench once more, scoring 17 first-half factors however simply 4 thereafter.
“Proud of our guys,” Ham stated. “They bounced back. We addressed a lot of the things that we said we were going to try to do better. Still got to be better in transition D. But overall the energy was there, the effort was there, the urgency was there, we just caught a bad stretch.”
And a all of the sudden red-hot Jamal Murray.
After Nikola Jokić’s monster sport within the opener, his pick-and-roll accomplice Jamal Murray took the highlight within the Western Conference finals Thursday evening.
Murray scored 23 of his 37 factors within the fourth quarter, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2-0 lead within the collection.
“He was special,” Jokić stated. “He won us the game basically.”
Murray missed 12 of his 17 pictures by three quarters however discovered his contact within the fourth, going 6 for 7, together with 4 three-pointers, and fueling a 15-1 run that gave Denver a 96-84 lead.
“He made shots at the end of the clock,” LeBron James lamented. “We guard for 24 seconds and he made two big-time shots, one over (Anthony Davis) and one over me. He had his three-point shot going in the fourth. It’s no surprise to me, he’s done it before. Sometimes it’s a never-miss league.”
In all, Denver sank seven threes within the fourth quarter after hitting seven all evening.
“It would have been a lot easier if I had made them in the first half,” stated Murray, who continues to be taking part in by an earache he hasn’t been in a position to shake since Round 2.
Jokić added 23 factors, 17 rebounds and a dozen assists a day after ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters handed the Nuggets the no-respect card by acknowledging that she’d by no means seen the two-time MVP play earlier than Game 1, when he had 34 factors, 21 boards and 14 assists.
“For those that don’t know him, he’s got 13 playoff triple-doubles now,” Malone sneered after Game 2. “It’s just incredible what he continues to do on a nightly basis on the biggest stage in the world.”
As for Jokić, he dismissed the slights on him and his teammates, saying, “It’s nothing new for us.”
Malone was a lot miffed by the Lakers getting all of the pub.
“You win Game 1 and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone stated. “Let’s be honest, the national narrative was, ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’ No one talked about how Nikola just had an historic performance. He’s got 13 (playoff) triple-doubles now, third all-time. What he’s doing is just incredible.
“But their narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola. The narrative was about the Lakers and their adjustments. So you know, you put that in your pipe and you smoke it, you come back and you know what, we’re gonna go up 2-0.”
The Nuggets have by no means been this near reaching the NBA finals of their historical past. Game 3 is Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena, the place James and the Lakers are 8-0 within the playoffs.
Malone stated he reminded Murray heading into the fourth quarter to not fret over his taking pictures woes however to concentrate on contributing in different methods. He heeded that recommendation, grabbing three massive boards on protection and stealing the ball twice in addition to hitting 4-of-5 from deep and 7-of-8 from the stripe.
“Three-point line is what killed us in the fourth,” James stated.
Malone knew that when Murray lastly discovered the web, many extra buckets would comply with.
“We all know … he just has to see one go in,” Malone stated, and when that occurred, “he kind of looked up to the heavens and that’s all he needs. And after that he’s shooting into a hula hoop.”
Just like in Game 1, the Lakers didn’t go down simply. They pulled to 3 factors on Austin Reaves’ jumper earlier than Murray sank two free throws with 12 seconds left and Bruce Brown stole the ball from James, then dribbled out the ultimate eight seconds.
The Nuggets improved to 41-8 at house, greatest within the NBA, together with 8-0 within the playoffs.
James and Reaves each scored 22 for Los Angeles. Davis scored 18 after pouring in 40 within the opener and Rui Hachimra scored 21 factors off the bench.
For a lot of the evening, it appeared as if the Lakers would wrest home-court benefit from the Nuggets, who’re the highest seed for the primary time of their historical past. The Lakers gained the collection openers at Memphis and Golden State to achieve the convention championship.
The excellent protection Hachimura performed on Jokić within the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ loss in Game 1 led many to imagine coach Darvin Ham would begin Hachimura to attempt to stymie the Nuggets’ star middle from the beginning. But as a substitute he got here off the bench once more, scoring 17 first-half factors however simply 4 thereafter.
“Proud of our guys,” Ham stated. “They bounced back. We addressed a lot of the things that we said we were going to try to do better. Still got to be better in transition D. But overall the energy was there, the effort was there, the urgency was there, we just caught a bad stretch.”
And a all of the sudden red-hot Jamal Murray.
After Nikola Jokić’s monster sport within the opener, his pick-and-roll accomplice Jamal Murray took the highlight within the Western Conference finals Thursday evening.
Murray scored 23 of his 37 factors within the fourth quarter, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2-0 lead within the collection.
“He was special,” Jokić stated. “He won us the game basically.”
Murray missed 12 of his 17 pictures by three quarters however discovered his contact within the fourth, going 6 for 7, together with 4 three-pointers, and fueling a 15-1 run that gave Denver a 96-84 lead.
“He made shots at the end of the clock,” LeBron James lamented. “We guard for 24 seconds and he made two big-time shots, one over (Anthony Davis) and one over me. He had his three-point shot going in the fourth. It’s no surprise to me, he’s done it before. Sometimes it’s a never-miss league.”
In all, Denver sank seven threes within the fourth quarter after hitting seven all evening.
“It would have been a lot easier if I had made them in the first half,” stated Murray, who continues to be taking part in by an earache he hasn’t been in a position to shake since Round 2.
Jokić added 23 factors, 17 rebounds and a dozen assists a day after ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters handed the Nuggets the no-respect card by acknowledging that she’d by no means seen the two-time MVP play earlier than Game 1, when he had 34 factors, 21 boards and 14 assists.
“For those that don’t know him, he’s got 13 playoff triple-doubles now,” Malone sneered after Game 2. “It’s just incredible what he continues to do on a nightly basis on the biggest stage in the world.”
As for Jokić, he dismissed the slights on him and his teammates, saying, “It’s nothing new for us.”
Malone was a lot miffed by the Lakers getting all of the pub.
“You win Game 1 and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone stated. “Let’s be honest, the national narrative was, ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’ No one talked about how Nikola just had an historic performance. He’s got 13 (playoff) triple-doubles now, third all-time. What he’s doing is just incredible.
“But their narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola. The narrative was about the Lakers and their adjustments. So you know, you put that in your pipe and you smoke it, you come back and you know what, we’re gonna go up 2-0.”
The Nuggets have by no means been this near reaching the NBA finals of their historical past. Game 3 is Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena, the place James and the Lakers are 8-0 within the playoffs.
Malone stated he reminded Murray heading into the fourth quarter to not fret over his taking pictures woes however to concentrate on contributing in different methods. He heeded that recommendation, grabbing three massive boards on protection and stealing the ball twice in addition to hitting 4-of-5 from deep and 7-of-8 from the stripe.
“Three-point line is what killed us in the fourth,” James stated.
Malone knew that when Murray lastly discovered the web, many extra buckets would comply with.
“We all know … he just has to see one go in,” Malone stated, and when that occurred, “he kind of looked up to the heavens and that’s all he needs. And after that he’s shooting into a hula hoop.”
Just like in Game 1, the Lakers didn’t go down simply. They pulled to 3 factors on Austin Reaves’ jumper earlier than Murray sank two free throws with 12 seconds left and Bruce Brown stole the ball from James, then dribbled out the ultimate eight seconds.
The Nuggets improved to 41-8 at house, greatest within the NBA, together with 8-0 within the playoffs.
James and Reaves each scored 22 for Los Angeles. Davis scored 18 after pouring in 40 within the opener and Rui Hachimra scored 21 factors off the bench.
For a lot of the evening, it appeared as if the Lakers would wrest home-court benefit from the Nuggets, who’re the highest seed for the primary time of their historical past. The Lakers gained the collection openers at Memphis and Golden State to achieve the convention championship.
The excellent protection Hachimura performed on Jokić within the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ loss in Game 1 led many to imagine coach Darvin Ham would begin Hachimura to attempt to stymie the Nuggets’ star middle from the beginning. But as a substitute he got here off the bench once more, scoring 17 first-half factors however simply 4 thereafter.
“Proud of our guys,” Ham stated. “They bounced back. We addressed a lot of the things that we said we were going to try to do better. Still got to be better in transition D. But overall the energy was there, the effort was there, the urgency was there, we just caught a bad stretch.”
And a all of the sudden red-hot Jamal Murray.
After Nikola Jokić’s monster sport within the opener, his pick-and-roll accomplice Jamal Murray took the highlight within the Western Conference finals Thursday evening.
Murray scored 23 of his 37 factors within the fourth quarter, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2-0 lead within the collection.
“He was special,” Jokić stated. “He won us the game basically.”
Murray missed 12 of his 17 pictures by three quarters however discovered his contact within the fourth, going 6 for 7, together with 4 three-pointers, and fueling a 15-1 run that gave Denver a 96-84 lead.
“He made shots at the end of the clock,” LeBron James lamented. “We guard for 24 seconds and he made two big-time shots, one over (Anthony Davis) and one over me. He had his three-point shot going in the fourth. It’s no surprise to me, he’s done it before. Sometimes it’s a never-miss league.”
In all, Denver sank seven threes within the fourth quarter after hitting seven all evening.
“It would have been a lot easier if I had made them in the first half,” stated Murray, who continues to be taking part in by an earache he hasn’t been in a position to shake since Round 2.
Jokić added 23 factors, 17 rebounds and a dozen assists a day after ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters handed the Nuggets the no-respect card by acknowledging that she’d by no means seen the two-time MVP play earlier than Game 1, when he had 34 factors, 21 boards and 14 assists.
“For those that don’t know him, he’s got 13 playoff triple-doubles now,” Malone sneered after Game 2. “It’s just incredible what he continues to do on a nightly basis on the biggest stage in the world.”
As for Jokić, he dismissed the slights on him and his teammates, saying, “It’s nothing new for us.”
Malone was a lot miffed by the Lakers getting all of the pub.
“You win Game 1 and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone stated. “Let’s be honest, the national narrative was, ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’ No one talked about how Nikola just had an historic performance. He’s got 13 (playoff) triple-doubles now, third all-time. What he’s doing is just incredible.
“But their narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola. The narrative was about the Lakers and their adjustments. So you know, you put that in your pipe and you smoke it, you come back and you know what, we’re gonna go up 2-0.”
The Nuggets have by no means been this near reaching the NBA finals of their historical past. Game 3 is Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena, the place James and the Lakers are 8-0 within the playoffs.
Malone stated he reminded Murray heading into the fourth quarter to not fret over his taking pictures woes however to concentrate on contributing in different methods. He heeded that recommendation, grabbing three massive boards on protection and stealing the ball twice in addition to hitting 4-of-5 from deep and 7-of-8 from the stripe.
“Three-point line is what killed us in the fourth,” James stated.
Malone knew that when Murray lastly discovered the web, many extra buckets would comply with.
“We all know … he just has to see one go in,” Malone stated, and when that occurred, “he kind of looked up to the heavens and that’s all he needs. And after that he’s shooting into a hula hoop.”
Just like in Game 1, the Lakers didn’t go down simply. They pulled to 3 factors on Austin Reaves’ jumper earlier than Murray sank two free throws with 12 seconds left and Bruce Brown stole the ball from James, then dribbled out the ultimate eight seconds.
The Nuggets improved to 41-8 at house, greatest within the NBA, together with 8-0 within the playoffs.
James and Reaves each scored 22 for Los Angeles. Davis scored 18 after pouring in 40 within the opener and Rui Hachimra scored 21 factors off the bench.
For a lot of the evening, it appeared as if the Lakers would wrest home-court benefit from the Nuggets, who’re the highest seed for the primary time of their historical past. The Lakers gained the collection openers at Memphis and Golden State to achieve the convention championship.
The excellent protection Hachimura performed on Jokić within the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ loss in Game 1 led many to imagine coach Darvin Ham would begin Hachimura to attempt to stymie the Nuggets’ star middle from the beginning. But as a substitute he got here off the bench once more, scoring 17 first-half factors however simply 4 thereafter.
“Proud of our guys,” Ham stated. “They bounced back. We addressed a lot of the things that we said we were going to try to do better. Still got to be better in transition D. But overall the energy was there, the effort was there, the urgency was there, we just caught a bad stretch.”
And a all of the sudden red-hot Jamal Murray.
After Nikola Jokić’s monster sport within the opener, his pick-and-roll accomplice Jamal Murray took the highlight within the Western Conference finals Thursday evening.
Murray scored 23 of his 37 factors within the fourth quarter, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2-0 lead within the collection.
“He was special,” Jokić stated. “He won us the game basically.”
Murray missed 12 of his 17 pictures by three quarters however discovered his contact within the fourth, going 6 for 7, together with 4 three-pointers, and fueling a 15-1 run that gave Denver a 96-84 lead.
“He made shots at the end of the clock,” LeBron James lamented. “We guard for 24 seconds and he made two big-time shots, one over (Anthony Davis) and one over me. He had his three-point shot going in the fourth. It’s no surprise to me, he’s done it before. Sometimes it’s a never-miss league.”
In all, Denver sank seven threes within the fourth quarter after hitting seven all evening.
“It would have been a lot easier if I had made them in the first half,” stated Murray, who continues to be taking part in by an earache he hasn’t been in a position to shake since Round 2.
Jokić added 23 factors, 17 rebounds and a dozen assists a day after ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters handed the Nuggets the no-respect card by acknowledging that she’d by no means seen the two-time MVP play earlier than Game 1, when he had 34 factors, 21 boards and 14 assists.
“For those that don’t know him, he’s got 13 playoff triple-doubles now,” Malone sneered after Game 2. “It’s just incredible what he continues to do on a nightly basis on the biggest stage in the world.”
As for Jokić, he dismissed the slights on him and his teammates, saying, “It’s nothing new for us.”
Malone was a lot miffed by the Lakers getting all of the pub.
“You win Game 1 and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone stated. “Let’s be honest, the national narrative was, ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’ No one talked about how Nikola just had an historic performance. He’s got 13 (playoff) triple-doubles now, third all-time. What he’s doing is just incredible.
“But their narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola. The narrative was about the Lakers and their adjustments. So you know, you put that in your pipe and you smoke it, you come back and you know what, we’re gonna go up 2-0.”
The Nuggets have by no means been this near reaching the NBA finals of their historical past. Game 3 is Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena, the place James and the Lakers are 8-0 within the playoffs.
Malone stated he reminded Murray heading into the fourth quarter to not fret over his taking pictures woes however to concentrate on contributing in different methods. He heeded that recommendation, grabbing three massive boards on protection and stealing the ball twice in addition to hitting 4-of-5 from deep and 7-of-8 from the stripe.
“Three-point line is what killed us in the fourth,” James stated.
Malone knew that when Murray lastly discovered the web, many extra buckets would comply with.
“We all know … he just has to see one go in,” Malone stated, and when that occurred, “he kind of looked up to the heavens and that’s all he needs. And after that he’s shooting into a hula hoop.”
Just like in Game 1, the Lakers didn’t go down simply. They pulled to 3 factors on Austin Reaves’ jumper earlier than Murray sank two free throws with 12 seconds left and Bruce Brown stole the ball from James, then dribbled out the ultimate eight seconds.
The Nuggets improved to 41-8 at house, greatest within the NBA, together with 8-0 within the playoffs.
James and Reaves each scored 22 for Los Angeles. Davis scored 18 after pouring in 40 within the opener and Rui Hachimra scored 21 factors off the bench.
For a lot of the evening, it appeared as if the Lakers would wrest home-court benefit from the Nuggets, who’re the highest seed for the primary time of their historical past. The Lakers gained the collection openers at Memphis and Golden State to achieve the convention championship.
The excellent protection Hachimura performed on Jokić within the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ loss in Game 1 led many to imagine coach Darvin Ham would begin Hachimura to attempt to stymie the Nuggets’ star middle from the beginning. But as a substitute he got here off the bench once more, scoring 17 first-half factors however simply 4 thereafter.
“Proud of our guys,” Ham stated. “They bounced back. We addressed a lot of the things that we said we were going to try to do better. Still got to be better in transition D. But overall the energy was there, the effort was there, the urgency was there, we just caught a bad stretch.”
And a all of the sudden red-hot Jamal Murray.
After Nikola Jokić’s monster sport within the opener, his pick-and-roll accomplice Jamal Murray took the highlight within the Western Conference finals Thursday evening.
Murray scored 23 of his 37 factors within the fourth quarter, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2-0 lead within the collection.
“He was special,” Jokić stated. “He won us the game basically.”
Murray missed 12 of his 17 pictures by three quarters however discovered his contact within the fourth, going 6 for 7, together with 4 three-pointers, and fueling a 15-1 run that gave Denver a 96-84 lead.
“He made shots at the end of the clock,” LeBron James lamented. “We guard for 24 seconds and he made two big-time shots, one over (Anthony Davis) and one over me. He had his three-point shot going in the fourth. It’s no surprise to me, he’s done it before. Sometimes it’s a never-miss league.”
In all, Denver sank seven threes within the fourth quarter after hitting seven all evening.
“It would have been a lot easier if I had made them in the first half,” stated Murray, who continues to be taking part in by an earache he hasn’t been in a position to shake since Round 2.
Jokić added 23 factors, 17 rebounds and a dozen assists a day after ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters handed the Nuggets the no-respect card by acknowledging that she’d by no means seen the two-time MVP play earlier than Game 1, when he had 34 factors, 21 boards and 14 assists.
“For those that don’t know him, he’s got 13 playoff triple-doubles now,” Malone sneered after Game 2. “It’s just incredible what he continues to do on a nightly basis on the biggest stage in the world.”
As for Jokić, he dismissed the slights on him and his teammates, saying, “It’s nothing new for us.”
Malone was a lot miffed by the Lakers getting all of the pub.
“You win Game 1 and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone stated. “Let’s be honest, the national narrative was, ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’ No one talked about how Nikola just had an historic performance. He’s got 13 (playoff) triple-doubles now, third all-time. What he’s doing is just incredible.
“But their narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola. The narrative was about the Lakers and their adjustments. So you know, you put that in your pipe and you smoke it, you come back and you know what, we’re gonna go up 2-0.”
The Nuggets have by no means been this near reaching the NBA finals of their historical past. Game 3 is Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena, the place James and the Lakers are 8-0 within the playoffs.
Malone stated he reminded Murray heading into the fourth quarter to not fret over his taking pictures woes however to concentrate on contributing in different methods. He heeded that recommendation, grabbing three massive boards on protection and stealing the ball twice in addition to hitting 4-of-5 from deep and 7-of-8 from the stripe.
“Three-point line is what killed us in the fourth,” James stated.
Malone knew that when Murray lastly discovered the web, many extra buckets would comply with.
“We all know … he just has to see one go in,” Malone stated, and when that occurred, “he kind of looked up to the heavens and that’s all he needs. And after that he’s shooting into a hula hoop.”
Just like in Game 1, the Lakers didn’t go down simply. They pulled to 3 factors on Austin Reaves’ jumper earlier than Murray sank two free throws with 12 seconds left and Bruce Brown stole the ball from James, then dribbled out the ultimate eight seconds.
The Nuggets improved to 41-8 at house, greatest within the NBA, together with 8-0 within the playoffs.
James and Reaves each scored 22 for Los Angeles. Davis scored 18 after pouring in 40 within the opener and Rui Hachimra scored 21 factors off the bench.
For a lot of the evening, it appeared as if the Lakers would wrest home-court benefit from the Nuggets, who’re the highest seed for the primary time of their historical past. The Lakers gained the collection openers at Memphis and Golden State to achieve the convention championship.
The excellent protection Hachimura performed on Jokić within the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ loss in Game 1 led many to imagine coach Darvin Ham would begin Hachimura to attempt to stymie the Nuggets’ star middle from the beginning. But as a substitute he got here off the bench once more, scoring 17 first-half factors however simply 4 thereafter.
“Proud of our guys,” Ham stated. “They bounced back. We addressed a lot of the things that we said we were going to try to do better. Still got to be better in transition D. But overall the energy was there, the effort was there, the urgency was there, we just caught a bad stretch.”
And a all of the sudden red-hot Jamal Murray.
After Nikola Jokić’s monster sport within the opener, his pick-and-roll accomplice Jamal Murray took the highlight within the Western Conference finals Thursday evening.
Murray scored 23 of his 37 factors within the fourth quarter, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2-0 lead within the collection.
“He was special,” Jokić stated. “He won us the game basically.”
Murray missed 12 of his 17 pictures by three quarters however discovered his contact within the fourth, going 6 for 7, together with 4 three-pointers, and fueling a 15-1 run that gave Denver a 96-84 lead.
“He made shots at the end of the clock,” LeBron James lamented. “We guard for 24 seconds and he made two big-time shots, one over (Anthony Davis) and one over me. He had his three-point shot going in the fourth. It’s no surprise to me, he’s done it before. Sometimes it’s a never-miss league.”
In all, Denver sank seven threes within the fourth quarter after hitting seven all evening.
“It would have been a lot easier if I had made them in the first half,” stated Murray, who continues to be taking part in by an earache he hasn’t been in a position to shake since Round 2.
Jokić added 23 factors, 17 rebounds and a dozen assists a day after ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters handed the Nuggets the no-respect card by acknowledging that she’d by no means seen the two-time MVP play earlier than Game 1, when he had 34 factors, 21 boards and 14 assists.
“For those that don’t know him, he’s got 13 playoff triple-doubles now,” Malone sneered after Game 2. “It’s just incredible what he continues to do on a nightly basis on the biggest stage in the world.”
As for Jokić, he dismissed the slights on him and his teammates, saying, “It’s nothing new for us.”
Malone was a lot miffed by the Lakers getting all of the pub.
“You win Game 1 and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone stated. “Let’s be honest, the national narrative was, ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’ No one talked about how Nikola just had an historic performance. He’s got 13 (playoff) triple-doubles now, third all-time. What he’s doing is just incredible.
“But their narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola. The narrative was about the Lakers and their adjustments. So you know, you put that in your pipe and you smoke it, you come back and you know what, we’re gonna go up 2-0.”
The Nuggets have by no means been this near reaching the NBA finals of their historical past. Game 3 is Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena, the place James and the Lakers are 8-0 within the playoffs.
Malone stated he reminded Murray heading into the fourth quarter to not fret over his taking pictures woes however to concentrate on contributing in different methods. He heeded that recommendation, grabbing three massive boards on protection and stealing the ball twice in addition to hitting 4-of-5 from deep and 7-of-8 from the stripe.
“Three-point line is what killed us in the fourth,” James stated.
Malone knew that when Murray lastly discovered the web, many extra buckets would comply with.
“We all know … he just has to see one go in,” Malone stated, and when that occurred, “he kind of looked up to the heavens and that’s all he needs. And after that he’s shooting into a hula hoop.”
Just like in Game 1, the Lakers didn’t go down simply. They pulled to 3 factors on Austin Reaves’ jumper earlier than Murray sank two free throws with 12 seconds left and Bruce Brown stole the ball from James, then dribbled out the ultimate eight seconds.
The Nuggets improved to 41-8 at house, greatest within the NBA, together with 8-0 within the playoffs.
James and Reaves each scored 22 for Los Angeles. Davis scored 18 after pouring in 40 within the opener and Rui Hachimra scored 21 factors off the bench.
For a lot of the evening, it appeared as if the Lakers would wrest home-court benefit from the Nuggets, who’re the highest seed for the primary time of their historical past. The Lakers gained the collection openers at Memphis and Golden State to achieve the convention championship.
The excellent protection Hachimura performed on Jokić within the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ loss in Game 1 led many to imagine coach Darvin Ham would begin Hachimura to attempt to stymie the Nuggets’ star middle from the beginning. But as a substitute he got here off the bench once more, scoring 17 first-half factors however simply 4 thereafter.
“Proud of our guys,” Ham stated. “They bounced back. We addressed a lot of the things that we said we were going to try to do better. Still got to be better in transition D. But overall the energy was there, the effort was there, the urgency was there, we just caught a bad stretch.”
And a all of the sudden red-hot Jamal Murray.
After Nikola Jokić’s monster sport within the opener, his pick-and-roll accomplice Jamal Murray took the highlight within the Western Conference finals Thursday evening.
Murray scored 23 of his 37 factors within the fourth quarter, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2-0 lead within the collection.
“He was special,” Jokić stated. “He won us the game basically.”
Murray missed 12 of his 17 pictures by three quarters however discovered his contact within the fourth, going 6 for 7, together with 4 three-pointers, and fueling a 15-1 run that gave Denver a 96-84 lead.
“He made shots at the end of the clock,” LeBron James lamented. “We guard for 24 seconds and he made two big-time shots, one over (Anthony Davis) and one over me. He had his three-point shot going in the fourth. It’s no surprise to me, he’s done it before. Sometimes it’s a never-miss league.”
In all, Denver sank seven threes within the fourth quarter after hitting seven all evening.
“It would have been a lot easier if I had made them in the first half,” stated Murray, who continues to be taking part in by an earache he hasn’t been in a position to shake since Round 2.
Jokić added 23 factors, 17 rebounds and a dozen assists a day after ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters handed the Nuggets the no-respect card by acknowledging that she’d by no means seen the two-time MVP play earlier than Game 1, when he had 34 factors, 21 boards and 14 assists.
“For those that don’t know him, he’s got 13 playoff triple-doubles now,” Malone sneered after Game 2. “It’s just incredible what he continues to do on a nightly basis on the biggest stage in the world.”
As for Jokić, he dismissed the slights on him and his teammates, saying, “It’s nothing new for us.”
Malone was a lot miffed by the Lakers getting all of the pub.
“You win Game 1 and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone stated. “Let’s be honest, the national narrative was, ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’ No one talked about how Nikola just had an historic performance. He’s got 13 (playoff) triple-doubles now, third all-time. What he’s doing is just incredible.
“But their narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola. The narrative was about the Lakers and their adjustments. So you know, you put that in your pipe and you smoke it, you come back and you know what, we’re gonna go up 2-0.”
The Nuggets have by no means been this near reaching the NBA finals of their historical past. Game 3 is Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena, the place James and the Lakers are 8-0 within the playoffs.
Malone stated he reminded Murray heading into the fourth quarter to not fret over his taking pictures woes however to concentrate on contributing in different methods. He heeded that recommendation, grabbing three massive boards on protection and stealing the ball twice in addition to hitting 4-of-5 from deep and 7-of-8 from the stripe.
“Three-point line is what killed us in the fourth,” James stated.
Malone knew that when Murray lastly discovered the web, many extra buckets would comply with.
“We all know … he just has to see one go in,” Malone stated, and when that occurred, “he kind of looked up to the heavens and that’s all he needs. And after that he’s shooting into a hula hoop.”
Just like in Game 1, the Lakers didn’t go down simply. They pulled to 3 factors on Austin Reaves’ jumper earlier than Murray sank two free throws with 12 seconds left and Bruce Brown stole the ball from James, then dribbled out the ultimate eight seconds.
The Nuggets improved to 41-8 at house, greatest within the NBA, together with 8-0 within the playoffs.
James and Reaves each scored 22 for Los Angeles. Davis scored 18 after pouring in 40 within the opener and Rui Hachimra scored 21 factors off the bench.
For a lot of the evening, it appeared as if the Lakers would wrest home-court benefit from the Nuggets, who’re the highest seed for the primary time of their historical past. The Lakers gained the collection openers at Memphis and Golden State to achieve the convention championship.
The excellent protection Hachimura performed on Jokić within the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ loss in Game 1 led many to imagine coach Darvin Ham would begin Hachimura to attempt to stymie the Nuggets’ star middle from the beginning. But as a substitute he got here off the bench once more, scoring 17 first-half factors however simply 4 thereafter.
“Proud of our guys,” Ham stated. “They bounced back. We addressed a lot of the things that we said we were going to try to do better. Still got to be better in transition D. But overall the energy was there, the effort was there, the urgency was there, we just caught a bad stretch.”
And a all of the sudden red-hot Jamal Murray.
After Nikola Jokić’s monster sport within the opener, his pick-and-roll accomplice Jamal Murray took the highlight within the Western Conference finals Thursday evening.
Murray scored 23 of his 37 factors within the fourth quarter, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2-0 lead within the collection.
“He was special,” Jokić stated. “He won us the game basically.”
Murray missed 12 of his 17 pictures by three quarters however discovered his contact within the fourth, going 6 for 7, together with 4 three-pointers, and fueling a 15-1 run that gave Denver a 96-84 lead.
“He made shots at the end of the clock,” LeBron James lamented. “We guard for 24 seconds and he made two big-time shots, one over (Anthony Davis) and one over me. He had his three-point shot going in the fourth. It’s no surprise to me, he’s done it before. Sometimes it’s a never-miss league.”
In all, Denver sank seven threes within the fourth quarter after hitting seven all evening.
“It would have been a lot easier if I had made them in the first half,” stated Murray, who continues to be taking part in by an earache he hasn’t been in a position to shake since Round 2.
Jokić added 23 factors, 17 rebounds and a dozen assists a day after ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters handed the Nuggets the no-respect card by acknowledging that she’d by no means seen the two-time MVP play earlier than Game 1, when he had 34 factors, 21 boards and 14 assists.
“For those that don’t know him, he’s got 13 playoff triple-doubles now,” Malone sneered after Game 2. “It’s just incredible what he continues to do on a nightly basis on the biggest stage in the world.”
As for Jokić, he dismissed the slights on him and his teammates, saying, “It’s nothing new for us.”
Malone was a lot miffed by the Lakers getting all of the pub.
“You win Game 1 and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone stated. “Let’s be honest, the national narrative was, ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’ No one talked about how Nikola just had an historic performance. He’s got 13 (playoff) triple-doubles now, third all-time. What he’s doing is just incredible.
“But their narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola. The narrative was about the Lakers and their adjustments. So you know, you put that in your pipe and you smoke it, you come back and you know what, we’re gonna go up 2-0.”
The Nuggets have by no means been this near reaching the NBA finals of their historical past. Game 3 is Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena, the place James and the Lakers are 8-0 within the playoffs.
Malone stated he reminded Murray heading into the fourth quarter to not fret over his taking pictures woes however to concentrate on contributing in different methods. He heeded that recommendation, grabbing three massive boards on protection and stealing the ball twice in addition to hitting 4-of-5 from deep and 7-of-8 from the stripe.
“Three-point line is what killed us in the fourth,” James stated.
Malone knew that when Murray lastly discovered the web, many extra buckets would comply with.
“We all know … he just has to see one go in,” Malone stated, and when that occurred, “he kind of looked up to the heavens and that’s all he needs. And after that he’s shooting into a hula hoop.”
Just like in Game 1, the Lakers didn’t go down simply. They pulled to 3 factors on Austin Reaves’ jumper earlier than Murray sank two free throws with 12 seconds left and Bruce Brown stole the ball from James, then dribbled out the ultimate eight seconds.
The Nuggets improved to 41-8 at house, greatest within the NBA, together with 8-0 within the playoffs.
James and Reaves each scored 22 for Los Angeles. Davis scored 18 after pouring in 40 within the opener and Rui Hachimra scored 21 factors off the bench.
For a lot of the evening, it appeared as if the Lakers would wrest home-court benefit from the Nuggets, who’re the highest seed for the primary time of their historical past. The Lakers gained the collection openers at Memphis and Golden State to achieve the convention championship.
The excellent protection Hachimura performed on Jokić within the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ loss in Game 1 led many to imagine coach Darvin Ham would begin Hachimura to attempt to stymie the Nuggets’ star middle from the beginning. But as a substitute he got here off the bench once more, scoring 17 first-half factors however simply 4 thereafter.
“Proud of our guys,” Ham stated. “They bounced back. We addressed a lot of the things that we said we were going to try to do better. Still got to be better in transition D. But overall the energy was there, the effort was there, the urgency was there, we just caught a bad stretch.”
And a all of the sudden red-hot Jamal Murray.
After Nikola Jokić’s monster sport within the opener, his pick-and-roll accomplice Jamal Murray took the highlight within the Western Conference finals Thursday evening.
Murray scored 23 of his 37 factors within the fourth quarter, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2-0 lead within the collection.
“He was special,” Jokić stated. “He won us the game basically.”
Murray missed 12 of his 17 pictures by three quarters however discovered his contact within the fourth, going 6 for 7, together with 4 three-pointers, and fueling a 15-1 run that gave Denver a 96-84 lead.
“He made shots at the end of the clock,” LeBron James lamented. “We guard for 24 seconds and he made two big-time shots, one over (Anthony Davis) and one over me. He had his three-point shot going in the fourth. It’s no surprise to me, he’s done it before. Sometimes it’s a never-miss league.”
In all, Denver sank seven threes within the fourth quarter after hitting seven all evening.
“It would have been a lot easier if I had made them in the first half,” stated Murray, who continues to be taking part in by an earache he hasn’t been in a position to shake since Round 2.
Jokić added 23 factors, 17 rebounds and a dozen assists a day after ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters handed the Nuggets the no-respect card by acknowledging that she’d by no means seen the two-time MVP play earlier than Game 1, when he had 34 factors, 21 boards and 14 assists.
“For those that don’t know him, he’s got 13 playoff triple-doubles now,” Malone sneered after Game 2. “It’s just incredible what he continues to do on a nightly basis on the biggest stage in the world.”
As for Jokić, he dismissed the slights on him and his teammates, saying, “It’s nothing new for us.”
Malone was a lot miffed by the Lakers getting all of the pub.
“You win Game 1 and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone stated. “Let’s be honest, the national narrative was, ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’ No one talked about how Nikola just had an historic performance. He’s got 13 (playoff) triple-doubles now, third all-time. What he’s doing is just incredible.
“But their narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola. The narrative was about the Lakers and their adjustments. So you know, you put that in your pipe and you smoke it, you come back and you know what, we’re gonna go up 2-0.”
The Nuggets have by no means been this near reaching the NBA finals of their historical past. Game 3 is Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena, the place James and the Lakers are 8-0 within the playoffs.
Malone stated he reminded Murray heading into the fourth quarter to not fret over his taking pictures woes however to concentrate on contributing in different methods. He heeded that recommendation, grabbing three massive boards on protection and stealing the ball twice in addition to hitting 4-of-5 from deep and 7-of-8 from the stripe.
“Three-point line is what killed us in the fourth,” James stated.
Malone knew that when Murray lastly discovered the web, many extra buckets would comply with.
“We all know … he just has to see one go in,” Malone stated, and when that occurred, “he kind of looked up to the heavens and that’s all he needs. And after that he’s shooting into a hula hoop.”
Just like in Game 1, the Lakers didn’t go down simply. They pulled to 3 factors on Austin Reaves’ jumper earlier than Murray sank two free throws with 12 seconds left and Bruce Brown stole the ball from James, then dribbled out the ultimate eight seconds.
The Nuggets improved to 41-8 at house, greatest within the NBA, together with 8-0 within the playoffs.
James and Reaves each scored 22 for Los Angeles. Davis scored 18 after pouring in 40 within the opener and Rui Hachimra scored 21 factors off the bench.
For a lot of the evening, it appeared as if the Lakers would wrest home-court benefit from the Nuggets, who’re the highest seed for the primary time of their historical past. The Lakers gained the collection openers at Memphis and Golden State to achieve the convention championship.
The excellent protection Hachimura performed on Jokić within the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ loss in Game 1 led many to imagine coach Darvin Ham would begin Hachimura to attempt to stymie the Nuggets’ star middle from the beginning. But as a substitute he got here off the bench once more, scoring 17 first-half factors however simply 4 thereafter.
“Proud of our guys,” Ham stated. “They bounced back. We addressed a lot of the things that we said we were going to try to do better. Still got to be better in transition D. But overall the energy was there, the effort was there, the urgency was there, we just caught a bad stretch.”
And a all of the sudden red-hot Jamal Murray.
After Nikola Jokić’s monster sport within the opener, his pick-and-roll accomplice Jamal Murray took the highlight within the Western Conference finals Thursday evening.
Murray scored 23 of his 37 factors within the fourth quarter, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2-0 lead within the collection.
“He was special,” Jokić stated. “He won us the game basically.”
Murray missed 12 of his 17 pictures by three quarters however discovered his contact within the fourth, going 6 for 7, together with 4 three-pointers, and fueling a 15-1 run that gave Denver a 96-84 lead.
“He made shots at the end of the clock,” LeBron James lamented. “We guard for 24 seconds and he made two big-time shots, one over (Anthony Davis) and one over me. He had his three-point shot going in the fourth. It’s no surprise to me, he’s done it before. Sometimes it’s a never-miss league.”
In all, Denver sank seven threes within the fourth quarter after hitting seven all evening.
“It would have been a lot easier if I had made them in the first half,” stated Murray, who continues to be taking part in by an earache he hasn’t been in a position to shake since Round 2.
Jokić added 23 factors, 17 rebounds and a dozen assists a day after ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters handed the Nuggets the no-respect card by acknowledging that she’d by no means seen the two-time MVP play earlier than Game 1, when he had 34 factors, 21 boards and 14 assists.
“For those that don’t know him, he’s got 13 playoff triple-doubles now,” Malone sneered after Game 2. “It’s just incredible what he continues to do on a nightly basis on the biggest stage in the world.”
As for Jokić, he dismissed the slights on him and his teammates, saying, “It’s nothing new for us.”
Malone was a lot miffed by the Lakers getting all of the pub.
“You win Game 1 and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone stated. “Let’s be honest, the national narrative was, ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’ No one talked about how Nikola just had an historic performance. He’s got 13 (playoff) triple-doubles now, third all-time. What he’s doing is just incredible.
“But their narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola. The narrative was about the Lakers and their adjustments. So you know, you put that in your pipe and you smoke it, you come back and you know what, we’re gonna go up 2-0.”
The Nuggets have by no means been this near reaching the NBA finals of their historical past. Game 3 is Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena, the place James and the Lakers are 8-0 within the playoffs.
Malone stated he reminded Murray heading into the fourth quarter to not fret over his taking pictures woes however to concentrate on contributing in different methods. He heeded that recommendation, grabbing three massive boards on protection and stealing the ball twice in addition to hitting 4-of-5 from deep and 7-of-8 from the stripe.
“Three-point line is what killed us in the fourth,” James stated.
Malone knew that when Murray lastly discovered the web, many extra buckets would comply with.
“We all know … he just has to see one go in,” Malone stated, and when that occurred, “he kind of looked up to the heavens and that’s all he needs. And after that he’s shooting into a hula hoop.”
Just like in Game 1, the Lakers didn’t go down simply. They pulled to 3 factors on Austin Reaves’ jumper earlier than Murray sank two free throws with 12 seconds left and Bruce Brown stole the ball from James, then dribbled out the ultimate eight seconds.
The Nuggets improved to 41-8 at house, greatest within the NBA, together with 8-0 within the playoffs.
James and Reaves each scored 22 for Los Angeles. Davis scored 18 after pouring in 40 within the opener and Rui Hachimra scored 21 factors off the bench.
For a lot of the evening, it appeared as if the Lakers would wrest home-court benefit from the Nuggets, who’re the highest seed for the primary time of their historical past. The Lakers gained the collection openers at Memphis and Golden State to achieve the convention championship.
The excellent protection Hachimura performed on Jokić within the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ loss in Game 1 led many to imagine coach Darvin Ham would begin Hachimura to attempt to stymie the Nuggets’ star middle from the beginning. But as a substitute he got here off the bench once more, scoring 17 first-half factors however simply 4 thereafter.
“Proud of our guys,” Ham stated. “They bounced back. We addressed a lot of the things that we said we were going to try to do better. Still got to be better in transition D. But overall the energy was there, the effort was there, the urgency was there, we just caught a bad stretch.”
And a all of the sudden red-hot Jamal Murray.
After Nikola Jokić’s monster sport within the opener, his pick-and-roll accomplice Jamal Murray took the highlight within the Western Conference finals Thursday evening.
Murray scored 23 of his 37 factors within the fourth quarter, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2-0 lead within the collection.
“He was special,” Jokić stated. “He won us the game basically.”
Murray missed 12 of his 17 pictures by three quarters however discovered his contact within the fourth, going 6 for 7, together with 4 three-pointers, and fueling a 15-1 run that gave Denver a 96-84 lead.
“He made shots at the end of the clock,” LeBron James lamented. “We guard for 24 seconds and he made two big-time shots, one over (Anthony Davis) and one over me. He had his three-point shot going in the fourth. It’s no surprise to me, he’s done it before. Sometimes it’s a never-miss league.”
In all, Denver sank seven threes within the fourth quarter after hitting seven all evening.
“It would have been a lot easier if I had made them in the first half,” stated Murray, who continues to be taking part in by an earache he hasn’t been in a position to shake since Round 2.
Jokić added 23 factors, 17 rebounds and a dozen assists a day after ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters handed the Nuggets the no-respect card by acknowledging that she’d by no means seen the two-time MVP play earlier than Game 1, when he had 34 factors, 21 boards and 14 assists.
“For those that don’t know him, he’s got 13 playoff triple-doubles now,” Malone sneered after Game 2. “It’s just incredible what he continues to do on a nightly basis on the biggest stage in the world.”
As for Jokić, he dismissed the slights on him and his teammates, saying, “It’s nothing new for us.”
Malone was a lot miffed by the Lakers getting all of the pub.
“You win Game 1 and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone stated. “Let’s be honest, the national narrative was, ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’ No one talked about how Nikola just had an historic performance. He’s got 13 (playoff) triple-doubles now, third all-time. What he’s doing is just incredible.
“But their narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola. The narrative was about the Lakers and their adjustments. So you know, you put that in your pipe and you smoke it, you come back and you know what, we’re gonna go up 2-0.”
The Nuggets have by no means been this near reaching the NBA finals of their historical past. Game 3 is Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena, the place James and the Lakers are 8-0 within the playoffs.
Malone stated he reminded Murray heading into the fourth quarter to not fret over his taking pictures woes however to concentrate on contributing in different methods. He heeded that recommendation, grabbing three massive boards on protection and stealing the ball twice in addition to hitting 4-of-5 from deep and 7-of-8 from the stripe.
“Three-point line is what killed us in the fourth,” James stated.
Malone knew that when Murray lastly discovered the web, many extra buckets would comply with.
“We all know … he just has to see one go in,” Malone stated, and when that occurred, “he kind of looked up to the heavens and that’s all he needs. And after that he’s shooting into a hula hoop.”
Just like in Game 1, the Lakers didn’t go down simply. They pulled to 3 factors on Austin Reaves’ jumper earlier than Murray sank two free throws with 12 seconds left and Bruce Brown stole the ball from James, then dribbled out the ultimate eight seconds.
The Nuggets improved to 41-8 at house, greatest within the NBA, together with 8-0 within the playoffs.
James and Reaves each scored 22 for Los Angeles. Davis scored 18 after pouring in 40 within the opener and Rui Hachimra scored 21 factors off the bench.
For a lot of the evening, it appeared as if the Lakers would wrest home-court benefit from the Nuggets, who’re the highest seed for the primary time of their historical past. The Lakers gained the collection openers at Memphis and Golden State to achieve the convention championship.
The excellent protection Hachimura performed on Jokić within the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ loss in Game 1 led many to imagine coach Darvin Ham would begin Hachimura to attempt to stymie the Nuggets’ star middle from the beginning. But as a substitute he got here off the bench once more, scoring 17 first-half factors however simply 4 thereafter.
“Proud of our guys,” Ham stated. “They bounced back. We addressed a lot of the things that we said we were going to try to do better. Still got to be better in transition D. But overall the energy was there, the effort was there, the urgency was there, we just caught a bad stretch.”
And a all of the sudden red-hot Jamal Murray.
After Nikola Jokić’s monster sport within the opener, his pick-and-roll accomplice Jamal Murray took the highlight within the Western Conference finals Thursday evening.
Murray scored 23 of his 37 factors within the fourth quarter, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2-0 lead within the collection.
“He was special,” Jokić stated. “He won us the game basically.”
Murray missed 12 of his 17 pictures by three quarters however discovered his contact within the fourth, going 6 for 7, together with 4 three-pointers, and fueling a 15-1 run that gave Denver a 96-84 lead.
“He made shots at the end of the clock,” LeBron James lamented. “We guard for 24 seconds and he made two big-time shots, one over (Anthony Davis) and one over me. He had his three-point shot going in the fourth. It’s no surprise to me, he’s done it before. Sometimes it’s a never-miss league.”
In all, Denver sank seven threes within the fourth quarter after hitting seven all evening.
“It would have been a lot easier if I had made them in the first half,” stated Murray, who continues to be taking part in by an earache he hasn’t been in a position to shake since Round 2.
Jokić added 23 factors, 17 rebounds and a dozen assists a day after ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters handed the Nuggets the no-respect card by acknowledging that she’d by no means seen the two-time MVP play earlier than Game 1, when he had 34 factors, 21 boards and 14 assists.
“For those that don’t know him, he’s got 13 playoff triple-doubles now,” Malone sneered after Game 2. “It’s just incredible what he continues to do on a nightly basis on the biggest stage in the world.”
As for Jokić, he dismissed the slights on him and his teammates, saying, “It’s nothing new for us.”
Malone was a lot miffed by the Lakers getting all of the pub.
“You win Game 1 and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone stated. “Let’s be honest, the national narrative was, ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’ No one talked about how Nikola just had an historic performance. He’s got 13 (playoff) triple-doubles now, third all-time. What he’s doing is just incredible.
“But their narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola. The narrative was about the Lakers and their adjustments. So you know, you put that in your pipe and you smoke it, you come back and you know what, we’re gonna go up 2-0.”
The Nuggets have by no means been this near reaching the NBA finals of their historical past. Game 3 is Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena, the place James and the Lakers are 8-0 within the playoffs.
Malone stated he reminded Murray heading into the fourth quarter to not fret over his taking pictures woes however to concentrate on contributing in different methods. He heeded that recommendation, grabbing three massive boards on protection and stealing the ball twice in addition to hitting 4-of-5 from deep and 7-of-8 from the stripe.
“Three-point line is what killed us in the fourth,” James stated.
Malone knew that when Murray lastly discovered the web, many extra buckets would comply with.
“We all know … he just has to see one go in,” Malone stated, and when that occurred, “he kind of looked up to the heavens and that’s all he needs. And after that he’s shooting into a hula hoop.”
Just like in Game 1, the Lakers didn’t go down simply. They pulled to 3 factors on Austin Reaves’ jumper earlier than Murray sank two free throws with 12 seconds left and Bruce Brown stole the ball from James, then dribbled out the ultimate eight seconds.
The Nuggets improved to 41-8 at house, greatest within the NBA, together with 8-0 within the playoffs.
James and Reaves each scored 22 for Los Angeles. Davis scored 18 after pouring in 40 within the opener and Rui Hachimra scored 21 factors off the bench.
For a lot of the evening, it appeared as if the Lakers would wrest home-court benefit from the Nuggets, who’re the highest seed for the primary time of their historical past. The Lakers gained the collection openers at Memphis and Golden State to achieve the convention championship.
The excellent protection Hachimura performed on Jokić within the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ loss in Game 1 led many to imagine coach Darvin Ham would begin Hachimura to attempt to stymie the Nuggets’ star middle from the beginning. But as a substitute he got here off the bench once more, scoring 17 first-half factors however simply 4 thereafter.
“Proud of our guys,” Ham stated. “They bounced back. We addressed a lot of the things that we said we were going to try to do better. Still got to be better in transition D. But overall the energy was there, the effort was there, the urgency was there, we just caught a bad stretch.”
And a all of the sudden red-hot Jamal Murray.
After Nikola Jokić’s monster sport within the opener, his pick-and-roll accomplice Jamal Murray took the highlight within the Western Conference finals Thursday evening.
Murray scored 23 of his 37 factors within the fourth quarter, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2-0 lead within the collection.
“He was special,” Jokić stated. “He won us the game basically.”
Murray missed 12 of his 17 pictures by three quarters however discovered his contact within the fourth, going 6 for 7, together with 4 three-pointers, and fueling a 15-1 run that gave Denver a 96-84 lead.
“He made shots at the end of the clock,” LeBron James lamented. “We guard for 24 seconds and he made two big-time shots, one over (Anthony Davis) and one over me. He had his three-point shot going in the fourth. It’s no surprise to me, he’s done it before. Sometimes it’s a never-miss league.”
In all, Denver sank seven threes within the fourth quarter after hitting seven all evening.
“It would have been a lot easier if I had made them in the first half,” stated Murray, who continues to be taking part in by an earache he hasn’t been in a position to shake since Round 2.
Jokić added 23 factors, 17 rebounds and a dozen assists a day after ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters handed the Nuggets the no-respect card by acknowledging that she’d by no means seen the two-time MVP play earlier than Game 1, when he had 34 factors, 21 boards and 14 assists.
“For those that don’t know him, he’s got 13 playoff triple-doubles now,” Malone sneered after Game 2. “It’s just incredible what he continues to do on a nightly basis on the biggest stage in the world.”
As for Jokić, he dismissed the slights on him and his teammates, saying, “It’s nothing new for us.”
Malone was a lot miffed by the Lakers getting all of the pub.
“You win Game 1 and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone stated. “Let’s be honest, the national narrative was, ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’ No one talked about how Nikola just had an historic performance. He’s got 13 (playoff) triple-doubles now, third all-time. What he’s doing is just incredible.
“But their narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola. The narrative was about the Lakers and their adjustments. So you know, you put that in your pipe and you smoke it, you come back and you know what, we’re gonna go up 2-0.”
The Nuggets have by no means been this near reaching the NBA finals of their historical past. Game 3 is Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena, the place James and the Lakers are 8-0 within the playoffs.
Malone stated he reminded Murray heading into the fourth quarter to not fret over his taking pictures woes however to concentrate on contributing in different methods. He heeded that recommendation, grabbing three massive boards on protection and stealing the ball twice in addition to hitting 4-of-5 from deep and 7-of-8 from the stripe.
“Three-point line is what killed us in the fourth,” James stated.
Malone knew that when Murray lastly discovered the web, many extra buckets would comply with.
“We all know … he just has to see one go in,” Malone stated, and when that occurred, “he kind of looked up to the heavens and that’s all he needs. And after that he’s shooting into a hula hoop.”
Just like in Game 1, the Lakers didn’t go down simply. They pulled to 3 factors on Austin Reaves’ jumper earlier than Murray sank two free throws with 12 seconds left and Bruce Brown stole the ball from James, then dribbled out the ultimate eight seconds.
The Nuggets improved to 41-8 at house, greatest within the NBA, together with 8-0 within the playoffs.
James and Reaves each scored 22 for Los Angeles. Davis scored 18 after pouring in 40 within the opener and Rui Hachimra scored 21 factors off the bench.
For a lot of the evening, it appeared as if the Lakers would wrest home-court benefit from the Nuggets, who’re the highest seed for the primary time of their historical past. The Lakers gained the collection openers at Memphis and Golden State to achieve the convention championship.
The excellent protection Hachimura performed on Jokić within the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ loss in Game 1 led many to imagine coach Darvin Ham would begin Hachimura to attempt to stymie the Nuggets’ star middle from the beginning. But as a substitute he got here off the bench once more, scoring 17 first-half factors however simply 4 thereafter.
“Proud of our guys,” Ham stated. “They bounced back. We addressed a lot of the things that we said we were going to try to do better. Still got to be better in transition D. But overall the energy was there, the effort was there, the urgency was there, we just caught a bad stretch.”
And a all of the sudden red-hot Jamal Murray.
After Nikola Jokić’s monster sport within the opener, his pick-and-roll accomplice Jamal Murray took the highlight within the Western Conference finals Thursday evening.
Murray scored 23 of his 37 factors within the fourth quarter, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2-0 lead within the collection.
“He was special,” Jokić stated. “He won us the game basically.”
Murray missed 12 of his 17 pictures by three quarters however discovered his contact within the fourth, going 6 for 7, together with 4 three-pointers, and fueling a 15-1 run that gave Denver a 96-84 lead.
“He made shots at the end of the clock,” LeBron James lamented. “We guard for 24 seconds and he made two big-time shots, one over (Anthony Davis) and one over me. He had his three-point shot going in the fourth. It’s no surprise to me, he’s done it before. Sometimes it’s a never-miss league.”
In all, Denver sank seven threes within the fourth quarter after hitting seven all evening.
“It would have been a lot easier if I had made them in the first half,” stated Murray, who continues to be taking part in by an earache he hasn’t been in a position to shake since Round 2.
Jokić added 23 factors, 17 rebounds and a dozen assists a day after ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters handed the Nuggets the no-respect card by acknowledging that she’d by no means seen the two-time MVP play earlier than Game 1, when he had 34 factors, 21 boards and 14 assists.
“For those that don’t know him, he’s got 13 playoff triple-doubles now,” Malone sneered after Game 2. “It’s just incredible what he continues to do on a nightly basis on the biggest stage in the world.”
As for Jokić, he dismissed the slights on him and his teammates, saying, “It’s nothing new for us.”
Malone was a lot miffed by the Lakers getting all of the pub.
“You win Game 1 and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone stated. “Let’s be honest, the national narrative was, ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’ No one talked about how Nikola just had an historic performance. He’s got 13 (playoff) triple-doubles now, third all-time. What he’s doing is just incredible.
“But their narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola. The narrative was about the Lakers and their adjustments. So you know, you put that in your pipe and you smoke it, you come back and you know what, we’re gonna go up 2-0.”
The Nuggets have by no means been this near reaching the NBA finals of their historical past. Game 3 is Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena, the place James and the Lakers are 8-0 within the playoffs.
Malone stated he reminded Murray heading into the fourth quarter to not fret over his taking pictures woes however to concentrate on contributing in different methods. He heeded that recommendation, grabbing three massive boards on protection and stealing the ball twice in addition to hitting 4-of-5 from deep and 7-of-8 from the stripe.
“Three-point line is what killed us in the fourth,” James stated.
Malone knew that when Murray lastly discovered the web, many extra buckets would comply with.
“We all know … he just has to see one go in,” Malone stated, and when that occurred, “he kind of looked up to the heavens and that’s all he needs. And after that he’s shooting into a hula hoop.”
Just like in Game 1, the Lakers didn’t go down simply. They pulled to 3 factors on Austin Reaves’ jumper earlier than Murray sank two free throws with 12 seconds left and Bruce Brown stole the ball from James, then dribbled out the ultimate eight seconds.
The Nuggets improved to 41-8 at house, greatest within the NBA, together with 8-0 within the playoffs.
James and Reaves each scored 22 for Los Angeles. Davis scored 18 after pouring in 40 within the opener and Rui Hachimra scored 21 factors off the bench.
For a lot of the evening, it appeared as if the Lakers would wrest home-court benefit from the Nuggets, who’re the highest seed for the primary time of their historical past. The Lakers gained the collection openers at Memphis and Golden State to achieve the convention championship.
The excellent protection Hachimura performed on Jokić within the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ loss in Game 1 led many to imagine coach Darvin Ham would begin Hachimura to attempt to stymie the Nuggets’ star middle from the beginning. But as a substitute he got here off the bench once more, scoring 17 first-half factors however simply 4 thereafter.
“Proud of our guys,” Ham stated. “They bounced back. We addressed a lot of the things that we said we were going to try to do better. Still got to be better in transition D. But overall the energy was there, the effort was there, the urgency was there, we just caught a bad stretch.”
And a all of the sudden red-hot Jamal Murray.
After Nikola Jokić’s monster sport within the opener, his pick-and-roll accomplice Jamal Murray took the highlight within the Western Conference finals Thursday evening.
Murray scored 23 of his 37 factors within the fourth quarter, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2-0 lead within the collection.
“He was special,” Jokić stated. “He won us the game basically.”
Murray missed 12 of his 17 pictures by three quarters however discovered his contact within the fourth, going 6 for 7, together with 4 three-pointers, and fueling a 15-1 run that gave Denver a 96-84 lead.
“He made shots at the end of the clock,” LeBron James lamented. “We guard for 24 seconds and he made two big-time shots, one over (Anthony Davis) and one over me. He had his three-point shot going in the fourth. It’s no surprise to me, he’s done it before. Sometimes it’s a never-miss league.”
In all, Denver sank seven threes within the fourth quarter after hitting seven all evening.
“It would have been a lot easier if I had made them in the first half,” stated Murray, who continues to be taking part in by an earache he hasn’t been in a position to shake since Round 2.
Jokić added 23 factors, 17 rebounds and a dozen assists a day after ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters handed the Nuggets the no-respect card by acknowledging that she’d by no means seen the two-time MVP play earlier than Game 1, when he had 34 factors, 21 boards and 14 assists.
“For those that don’t know him, he’s got 13 playoff triple-doubles now,” Malone sneered after Game 2. “It’s just incredible what he continues to do on a nightly basis on the biggest stage in the world.”
As for Jokić, he dismissed the slights on him and his teammates, saying, “It’s nothing new for us.”
Malone was a lot miffed by the Lakers getting all of the pub.
“You win Game 1 and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone stated. “Let’s be honest, the national narrative was, ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’ No one talked about how Nikola just had an historic performance. He’s got 13 (playoff) triple-doubles now, third all-time. What he’s doing is just incredible.
“But their narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola. The narrative was about the Lakers and their adjustments. So you know, you put that in your pipe and you smoke it, you come back and you know what, we’re gonna go up 2-0.”
The Nuggets have by no means been this near reaching the NBA finals of their historical past. Game 3 is Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena, the place James and the Lakers are 8-0 within the playoffs.
Malone stated he reminded Murray heading into the fourth quarter to not fret over his taking pictures woes however to concentrate on contributing in different methods. He heeded that recommendation, grabbing three massive boards on protection and stealing the ball twice in addition to hitting 4-of-5 from deep and 7-of-8 from the stripe.
“Three-point line is what killed us in the fourth,” James stated.
Malone knew that when Murray lastly discovered the web, many extra buckets would comply with.
“We all know … he just has to see one go in,” Malone stated, and when that occurred, “he kind of looked up to the heavens and that’s all he needs. And after that he’s shooting into a hula hoop.”
Just like in Game 1, the Lakers didn’t go down simply. They pulled to 3 factors on Austin Reaves’ jumper earlier than Murray sank two free throws with 12 seconds left and Bruce Brown stole the ball from James, then dribbled out the ultimate eight seconds.
The Nuggets improved to 41-8 at house, greatest within the NBA, together with 8-0 within the playoffs.
James and Reaves each scored 22 for Los Angeles. Davis scored 18 after pouring in 40 within the opener and Rui Hachimra scored 21 factors off the bench.
For a lot of the evening, it appeared as if the Lakers would wrest home-court benefit from the Nuggets, who’re the highest seed for the primary time of their historical past. The Lakers gained the collection openers at Memphis and Golden State to achieve the convention championship.
The excellent protection Hachimura performed on Jokić within the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ loss in Game 1 led many to imagine coach Darvin Ham would begin Hachimura to attempt to stymie the Nuggets’ star middle from the beginning. But as a substitute he got here off the bench once more, scoring 17 first-half factors however simply 4 thereafter.
“Proud of our guys,” Ham stated. “They bounced back. We addressed a lot of the things that we said we were going to try to do better. Still got to be better in transition D. But overall the energy was there, the effort was there, the urgency was there, we just caught a bad stretch.”
And a all of the sudden red-hot Jamal Murray.
Discussion about this post