Jamal Murray saved his best for last, knocking down a game-winning buzzer-beater to snatch Game 2 away from the Los Angeles Lakers, 101-99. The 27-year-old drilled a fading stepback jumper over Anthony Davis that capped a 20-point comeback for the Denver Nuggets.
Murray struggled all night but came up huge in the fourth quarter. The Nuggets guard missed 16 of his first 19 shots before dropping 14 points in the last period on six-for-eight shooting.
The Lakers looked like they had their foes figured out. They led for most of the game until the Nuggets chipped away at the lead and snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat. The defending champions executed down the stretch and came up with a huge win.
A couple of questionable calls went in Denver’s favor– an overturned foul on D’Angelo Russell, a foul call on LeBron James on Murray, and a non-call on a James drive.
These calls aside, the Nuggets outplayed the Lakers when it mattered the most. Denver outscored the Purple and Gold by 17 points in the second half. The 2023 NBA champions continued to hustle all over the floor, leading to more opportunities down the stretch.
On the other hand, James shot a questionable three that set the stage for the Murray walk-off buzzer-beater.
The Lakers will try to regroup for Game 3, but a loss like this is difficult to recover from mentally. The Lakers did some things they could build from but ultimately lost. Nevertheless, the Nuggets have shown resiliency time and again. The Lakers, on the other hand, still have to prove they can play winning basketball for 48 minutes.
