Minnesota Timberwolves lost the second consecutive game against the Denver Nuggets and Western Conference semis now stand equal at 2-2. This despite Anthony Edwards dropped 44 points in Game 4. The 22-year-old has been the fulcrum of the Timberwolves' performance this season which has seen them shocking the defending champs in the first two games of the West semis.

Edwards also had an interesting moment with Denver Nuggets' Jamal Murray whose 55-foot buzzer-beater in the first half highlighted Denver's 115-107 Game 4 victory on Sunday (May 12). Edwards was near Murray on the sideline with the game also nearing the end when he clapped his hand with a nodding head and kept staring towards Murray.

Also Watch:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nba/news-playoffs-jamal-murrays-55-foot-buzzer-beater-highlights-nuggets-game-4-win-against-timberwolves-720967">Jamal Murray's 55-foot buzzer-beater highlights Nuggets' Game 4 win</a>

Edwards said to Murray: "I just told his a** we love that. Keep talking [like] that. That's what we like.' Well, I loved it. He didn't say nothing back. But I'm pretty sure he heard me. They heard me. You live for that."

Murray also spoke on defending Edwards during the game and said: "He's downhill, he's tough to guard, he's explosive. He's always in attack mode, you know what I'm saying? So, I think we can just do a better job of just giving him some attention."

As for the game, the Nuggets started the game with 12-2 lead before ending the first quarter at 29-24. In the second quarter, the Nuggets led 27-25 with the Timberwolves, thanks to Anthony Edwards, showing the signs of comeback. Denver then went on a 8-0 run to end the quarter 35-25, thanks to Murray's from beyond the half-court heave.

With the Nuggets leading 64-49 at the half-time, Minnesota rallied to win the third quarter 30-26. The deficit, however, proved too much to erase for the Wolves. Minnesota huffed and puffed to win the final 12 minutes by 28-25 but the Nuggets eventually won the game by a difference of eight points.

Minnesota Timberwolves lost the second consecutive game against the Denver Nuggets and Western Conference semis now stand equal at 2-2. This despite Anthony Edwards dropped 44 points in Game 4.

Minnesota Timberwolves lost the second consecutive game against the Denver Nuggets and Western Conference semis now stand equal at 2-2. This despite Anthony Edwards dropped 44 points in Game 4. The 22-year-old has been the fulcrum of the Timberwolves' performance this season which has seen them shocking the defending champs in the first two games of the West semis. Edwards also had an interesting moment with Denver Nuggets' Jamal Murray whose 55-foot buzzer-beater in the first half highlighted Denver's 115-107 Game 4 victory on Sunday (May 12). Edwards was near Murray on the sideline with the game also nearing the end when he clapped his hand with a nodding head and kept staring towards Murray. Also Watch: Jamal Murray's 55-foot buzzer-beater highlights Nuggets' Game 4 win Edwards said to Murray: "I just told his a** we love that. Keep talking [like] that. That's what we like.' Well, I loved it. He didn't say nothing back. But I'm pretty sure he heard me. They heard me. You live for that." Murray also spoke on defending Edwards during the game and said: "He's downhill, he's tough to guard, he's explosive. He's always in attack mode, you know what I'm saying? So, I think we can just do a better job of just giving him some attention." As for the game, the Nuggets started the game with 12-2 lead before ending the first quarter at 29-24. In the second quarter, the Nuggets led 27-25 with the Timberwolves, thanks to Anthony Edwards, showing the signs of comeback. Denver then went on a 8-0 run to end the quarter 35-25, thanks to Murray's from beyond the half-court heave. With the Nuggets leading 64-49 at the half-time, Minnesota rallied to win the third quarter 30-26. The deficit, however, proved too much to erase for the Wolves. Minnesota huffed and puffed to win the final 12 minutes by 28-25 but the Nuggets eventually won the game by a difference of eight points.

Playoffs: 'That's what we like,' Anthony Edwards on sideline 'chat' with Jamal Murray in Game 4 loss

Denver Nuggets are back. After losing the first two games of the Western Conference semifinals, the defending champions equaled the series with the second road win, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-107 in Game 4 at the Target Centre on Sunday (May 12). The crucial win was orchestrated by Nikola Jokic's 35 points in the game and of course Jamal Murray's buzzer-beater at the half time from 55-foot.

The Nuggets started the game with 12-2 lead before ending the first quarter at 29-24. In the second quarter, the Nuggets led 27-25 with the Timberwolves, thanks to Anthony Edwards, showing the signs of comeback. Denver then went on a 8-0 run to end the quarter 35-25, thanks to Murray's from beyond the half-court heave. Have a look at the buzzer-beater below:

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JAMAL MURRAY FROM BEYOND HALFCOURT. 
 
KEVIN HARLAN IS HYPED. 
 
Nuggets lead at halftime on TNT 🍿🍿🍿 <a href="https://t.co/PKjD1bS9CG">pic.twitter.com/PKjD1bS9CG</a>
— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1789824884433928567?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
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With the Nuggets leading 64-49 at the half-time, Minnesota rallied to win the third quarter 30-26. The deficit, however, proved too much to erase for the Wolves. Minnesota huffed and puffed to win the final 12 minutes by 28-25 but the Nuggets eventually won the game by a difference of eight points.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis/news-novak-djokovics-rome-exit-opens-door-for-jannik-sinner-to-attain-top-ranking-at-roland-garros-720877">Novak Djokovic's Rome exit opens door for Jannik Sinner to attain top ranking at Roland Garros</a>

For Minnesota, Anthony Edwards starred again with game-high 44 points but he couldn't take the Timberwolves over the line this time. Apart from him, Mike Conley Jr. scored 15 and Karl Anthony-Towns scored 13. Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, and Naz Reid all scored 11 points.

For the Nuggets, Aaron Gordon scored 27 apart from Jokic's 35 while Murray dropped 19. Christian Braun and Justin Holiday also scored 11 and 10 points respectively.

The series where away team has won all the games so far, will now go back to Denver and the Nuggets will again be banking on their home advantage to take lead in the best of seven series. The fifth game of the series will be played on May 14.

Denver Nuggets are back. After losing the first two games of the Western Conference semifinals, the defending champions equaled the series with the second road win, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-107 in Game 4 at the Target Centre on Sunday (May 12).

Denver Nuggets are back. After losing the first two games of the Western Conference semifinals, the defending champions equaled the series with the second road win, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-107 in Game 4 at the Target Centre on Sunday (May 12). The crucial win was orchestrated by Nikola Jokic's 35 points in the game and of course Jamal Murray's buzzer-beater at the half time from 55-foot. The Nuggets started the game with 12-2 lead before ending the first quarter at 29-24. In the second quarter, the Nuggets led 27-25 with the Timberwolves, thanks to Anthony Edwards, showing the signs of comeback. Denver then went on a 8-0 run to end the quarter 35-25, thanks to Murray's from beyond the half-court heave. Have a look at the buzzer-beater below: JAMAL MURRAY FROM BEYOND HALFCOURT. KEVIN HARLAN IS HYPED. Nuggets lead at halftime on TNT 🍿🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/PKjD1bS9CG — NBA (@NBA) May 13, 2024 × With the Nuggets leading 64-49 at the half-time, Minnesota rallied to win the third quarter 30-26. The deficit, however, proved too much to erase for the Wolves. Minnesota huffed and puffed to win the final 12 minutes by 28-25 but the Nuggets eventually won the game by a difference of eight points. Also Read: Novak Djokovic's Rome exit opens door for Jannik Sinner to attain top ranking at Roland Garros For Minnesota, Anthony Edwards starred again with game-high 44 points but he couldn't take the Timberwolves over the line this time. Apart from him, Mike Conley Jr. scored 15 and Karl Anthony-Towns scored 13. Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, and Naz Reid all scored 11 points. For the Nuggets, Aaron Gordon scored 27 apart from Jokic's 35 while Murray dropped 19. Christian Braun and Justin Holiday also scored 11 and 10 points respectively. The series where away team has won all the games so far, will now go back to Denver and the Nuggets will again be banking on their home advantage to take lead in the best of seven series. The fifth game of the series will be played on May 14.

Playoffs: Jamal Murray's 55-foot buzzer-beater highlights Nuggets' Game 4 win against Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves steamrolled the defending NBA champions Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of the Western Conference semis for 106-80 blowout win without Rudy Gobert. The Wolves now lead the series 2-0 despite having played both the games on the road. Anthony Edwards, who dropped 43 points in Game 1, was again on charge, dropping 27 points.

Edwards was ably supported by Karl-Anthony Towns who also dropped in 27 points. Apart from them, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Naz Reid also dropped 14 points each. The game started with Minnesota dropping 28 points in the first quarter against Nuggets' 20.

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Come second quarter, Timberwolves dropped 33 points against Denver's 15 and the game was done and dusted there only. &nbsp;Minnesota started the second half with same vigor before Denver showed some glimpse of comeback, taking the third quarter 25-21.&nbsp;

The Timberwolves' half-time lead of 26 eventually proved too much for the Nuggets to handle as they succumbed in 20-24 in the final quarter. Nuggets' Nikola Jokic scored just 16 points while Aaron Gordon put in 20 and Justin Holiday dropped 13.

This was the second time in a row that Denver were stopped short of 100 points in the postseason. The score of 80 is also the lowest for Denver this season - showing Minnesota's dominance over them in the ongoing best of seven series.

During the game, Denver's Jamal Murray also came in the limelight for throwing the heatpack on the court during the game. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch called it out after the game.

"I didn't actually see it happen," Finch said. "And the way it was explained to me, the referees didn't see it either. So they're not able to issue a technical unless they see it. We tried to impress upon them there probably aren't many fans in the building who have a heat pack, so it probably had to come from the bench. Which they found logical."

The third game of the series will be played on May 11.

The Minnesota Timberwolves steamrolled the defending NBA champions Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of the Western Conference semis for 106-80 blowout win without Rudy Gobert.

The Minnesota Timberwolves steamrolled the defending NBA champions Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of the Western Conference semis for 106-80 blowout win without Rudy Gobert. The Wolves now lead the series 2-0 despite having played both the games on the road. Anthony Edwards, who dropped 43 points in Game 1, was again on charge, dropping 27 points. Edwards was ably supported by Karl-Anthony Towns who also dropped in 27 points. Apart from them, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Naz Reid also dropped 14 points each. The game started with Minnesota dropping 28 points in the first quarter against Nuggets' 20. Also Read: 'Wish LeBron James would retire': Kendrick Perkins feels LA Lakers star should quit and not hurt his legacy Come second quarter, Timberwolves dropped 33 points against Denver's 15 and the game was done and dusted there only. Minnesota started the second half with same vigor before Denver showed some glimpse of comeback, taking the third quarter 25-21. The Timberwolves' half-time lead of 26 eventually proved too much for the Nuggets to handle as they succumbed in 20-24 in the final quarter. Nuggets' Nikola Jokic scored just 16 points while Aaron Gordon put in 20 and Justin Holiday dropped 13. This was the second time in a row that Denver were stopped short of 100 points in the postseason. The score of 80 is also the lowest for Denver this season - showing Minnesota's dominance over them in the ongoing best of seven series. During the game, Denver's Jamal Murray also came in the limelight for throwing the heatpack on the court during the game. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch called it out after the game. "I didn't actually see it happen," Finch said. "And the way it was explained to me, the referees didn't see it either. So they're not able to issue a technical unless they see it. We tried to impress upon them there probably aren't many fans in the building who have a heat pack, so it probably had to come from the bench. Which they found logical." The third game of the series will be played on May 11.

Playoffs: Timberwolves beat Nuggets in Game 2 without Rudy Gobert

Canada's Basketball World Cup hopes have suffered a major blow with guard Jamal Murray, who helped the Denver Nuggets win the NBA title in June, pulling out of the event, saying his body needs more time to recover.

Murray averaged 21.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 10.0 assists a game in the NBA Finals as the Nuggets beat Miami for the crown.

But the championship run drained Murray too much for him to compete with Canada at the World Cup, which begins next week in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.

"When I came into training camp, I wanted to see how my body would respond after a long and demanding season and if I would be physically able to compete at the highest level required for the World Cup," Murray said.

"In consultation with medical staff and the team, it's clear that additional recovery is required and I have made the difficult decision to not participate in the tournament.

"It's still a dream of mine to represent Canada at the Olympics and I will support the team every step of the way as they pursue this goal."

Canada is set to compete in the group stage of the 32-team event starting August 25 against France. Other Group H matches will include facing Lebanon on August 27 and Latvia on August 29, with all games at Jakarta, Indonesia.

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"After numerous discussions over the last several weeks with Jamal and team medical staff, it became clear that additional recovery and rehab would prevent Jamal from joining our team," Basketball Canada general manager Rowan Barrett said.

"With just over a week until we tip-off at the World Cup, based on a shared commitment to continue building and improving every day, we will be working through our remaining practice and exhibition game schedule to prepare us for the tournament-opening game against France."

The Canadians can qualify for next year's Paris Olympics by finishing among the top two teams from the Americas competing at the World Cup.

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Canada's Basketball World Cup hopes have suffered a major blow with guard Jamal Murray, who helped the Denver Nuggets win the NBA title in June, pulling out of the event, saying his body needs more time to recover.

Canada's Basketball World Cup hopes have suffered a major blow with guard Jamal Murray, who helped the Denver Nuggets win the NBA title in June, pulling out of the event, saying his body needs more time to recover. Murray averaged 21.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 10.0 assists a game in the NBA Finals as the Nuggets beat Miami for the crown. But the championship run drained Murray too much for him to compete with Canada at the World Cup, which begins next week in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. "When I came into training camp, I wanted to see how my body would respond after a long and demanding season and if I would be physically able to compete at the highest level required for the World Cup," Murray said. "In consultation with medical staff and the team, it's clear that additional recovery is required and I have made the difficult decision to not participate in the tournament. "It's still a dream of mine to represent Canada at the Olympics and I will support the team every step of the way as they pursue this goal." Canada is set to compete in the group stage of the 32-team event starting August 25 against France. Other Group H matches will include facing Lebanon on August 27 and Latvia on August 29, with all games at Jakarta, Indonesia. ALSO READ | Rohit Sharma needs to be more aggressive: Kapil Dev advises Indian captain, cites Bazball's example "After numerous discussions over the last several weeks with Jamal and team medical staff, it became clear that additional recovery and rehab would prevent Jamal from joining our team," Basketball Canada general manager Rowan Barrett said. "With just over a week until we tip-off at the World Cup, based on a shared commitment to continue building and improving every day, we will be working through our remaining practice and exhibition game schedule to prepare us for the tournament-opening game against France." The Canadians can qualify for next year's Paris Olympics by finishing among the top two teams from the Americas competing at the World Cup. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Basketball World Cup: Canadian star guard Jamal Murray to miss showpiece event; lifted NBA title in June

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray dominated the Miami Heat, both making triple doubles, as the Denver Nuggets took a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals and regained their home court advantage with a 109-94 win in game three on Wednesday.

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Christian Braun scores 15 points (7-8 FG) off the bench as Denver wins Game 3! 
 
DEN/MIA Game 4: Friday, 8:30 PM ET on ABC <a href="https://t.co/UrY4Al1Znc">pic.twitter.com/UrY4Al1Znc</a>
— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1666651010356445185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic scored 32 points with 21 rebounds and 10 assists, an unprecedented triple-double combination in an NBA Finals game. Murray scored 34 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

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Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are the first teammates in NBA history (regular season, postseason, or Finals) to BOTH record 30+ point triple-doubles in the same game! 
 
Jokic: 32 PTS, 21 REB, 10 AST 
Murray: 34 PTS, 10 REB, 10 AST <a href="https://t.co/13OvfXaQw9">pic.twitter.com/13OvfXaQw9</a>
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAHistory/status/1666649805613834243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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It was the first time any team in a Finals had two players making triple-doubles in the same game.

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Miami simply could not find a way to handle the 6 foot, 11-inch (2.11m) Jokic and unless coach Erik Spoelstra can come up with a plan before Friday's game four, the Heat are going to face an uphill battle.

Jokic became the first player in NBA history to reach the 30 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists mark in a Finals game but took little interest in that achievement.

"To be honest, not much. I'm just glad that we won a game," he said. "It was a big one for us just because they won in our arena, so we just didn’t want to go down 2-1," he added. "We were just, I think, more locked in, more focused ... We've got to win the next one, that's our mindset."

After Miami's win in Denver on Sunday, the Nuggets provided the perfect response with the kind of imposing display that coach Michael Malone demanded, and which will have answered any doubts that may have emerged after that loss.

Neither team could get on top in the first quarter, which ended 24-24 after a wonderful turnaround, fadeaway, jump shot from Miami's Kyle Lowry.

But the Heat struggled to contain Murray, who put up 20 points in the first half, while Jokic almost had a triple double by half-time -- the giant Serbian claiming 14 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in the opening two quarters.

The Nuggets led 53-48 at the half, helped by Miami's lack of precision in the paint where they missed 16 of 25 attempts.

Early in the third though, Denver took a grip on the contest, quickly opening up an 11-point lead. Miami couldn't find either the defensive answers or the offensive potency to get back in the game.

Denver had pushed the lead to 21 with 8:28 left in the fourth quarter and although Miami narrowed the deficit as the Nuggets took their foot off the gas, a third straight loss on home court leaves Spoelstra with plenty to ponder.

Jimmy Butler led Miami with 28 points while Bam Adebayo had 22 points and 17 rebounds.

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Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray dominated the Miami Heat, both making triple doubles, as the Denver Nuggets took a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals and regained their home court advantage with a 109-94 win in game three on Wednesday.

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray dominated the Miami Heat, both making triple doubles, as the Denver Nuggets took a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals and regained their home court advantage with a 109-94 win in game three on Wednesday. Christian Braun scores 15 points (7-8 FG) off the bench as Denver wins Game 3! DEN/MIA Game 4: Friday, 8:30 PM ET on ABC pic.twitter.com/UrY4Al1Znc — NBA (@NBA) June 8, 2023 × Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic scored 32 points with 21 rebounds and 10 assists, an unprecedented triple-double combination in an NBA Finals game. Murray scored 34 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are the first teammates in NBA history (regular season, postseason, or Finals) to BOTH record 30+ point triple-doubles in the same game! Jokic: 32 PTS, 21 REB, 10 AST Murray: 34 PTS, 10 REB, 10 AST pic.twitter.com/13OvfXaQw9 — NBA History (@NBAHistory) June 8, 2023 × It was the first time any team in a Finals had two players making triple-doubles in the same game. ALSO READ: 'If it had been a question of money, I would have gone to Saudi Arabia,' - Lionel Messi on joining Inter Miami Miami simply could not find a way to handle the 6 foot, 11-inch (2.11m) Jokic and unless coach Erik Spoelstra can come up with a plan before Friday's game four, the Heat are going to face an uphill battle. Jokic became the first player in NBA history to reach the 30 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists mark in a Finals game but took little interest in that achievement. "To be honest, not much. I'm just glad that we won a game," he said. "It was a big one for us just because they won in our arena, so we just didn’t want to go down 2-1," he added. "We were just, I think, more locked in, more focused ... We've got to win the next one, that's our mindset." After Miami's win in Denver on Sunday, the Nuggets provided the perfect response with the kind of imposing display that coach Michael Malone demanded, and which will have answered any doubts that may have emerged after that loss. Neither team could get on top in the first quarter, which ended 24-24 after a wonderful turnaround, fadeaway, jump shot from Miami's Kyle Lowry. But the Heat struggled to contain Murray, who put up 20 points in the first half, while Jokic almost had a triple double by half-time -- the giant Serbian claiming 14 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in the opening two quarters. The Nuggets led 53-48 at the half, helped by Miami's lack of precision in the paint where they missed 16 of 25 attempts. Early in the third though, Denver took a grip on the contest, quickly opening up an 11-point lead. Miami couldn't find either the defensive answers or the offensive potency to get back in the game. Denver had pushed the lead to 21 with 8:28 left in the fourth quarter and although Miami narrowed the deficit as the Nuggets took their foot off the gas, a third straight loss on home court leaves Spoelstra with plenty to ponder. Jimmy Butler led Miami with 28 points while Bam Adebayo had 22 points and 17 rebounds. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

NBA Finals: History-maker Nikola Jokic dominates Miami Heat as Denver Nuggets take 2-1 lead

Jamal Murray scored 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter as a furious finale carried the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday and a 2-0 lead in their NBA Western Conference final series.

Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic racked up another triple-double with 23 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists for the Nuggets, but it was Murray who starred when it mattered most.

He made six of seven shots, including four of five from three-point range, playing all 12 minutes of a final period in which Jokic and fellow starters Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Aaron Gordon went scoreless.

Murray's exploits were enough for a Nuggets team that had kept it close but couldn't find a way past LeBron James and the Lakers through the first three periods at Denver's Ball Arena.

"The game would've been a lot easier if I made them the first half," said Murray, adding he was able to refocus after missing some open shots and was encouraged by his teammates to keep shooting.

"Just come out focused and knock them down," he said of his second-half goal. "Don't lose any confidence or anything like that. Just play my game and know they're going to fall if I keep shooting them."

James and Austin Reaves scored 22 points apiece for the Lakers and Japanese reserve forward Rui Hachimura delivered a brilliant 21 points off the bench, but the Lakers couldn't stem the tide once Murray got going.

Two days after the Nuggets used a dominant first quarter to take control on the way to a game-one victory, it was all tied up at the end of one period.

The Lakers pushed their lead to as many as 11 in the second quarter before coming up empty on 10 straight attempts -- a dry spell ended by James's driving finger-roll layup.

James, who also had nine rebounds and 10 assists, then found Hachimura for an alley-oop dunk that put the Lakers up 53-48 at halftime.

Anthony Davis made just four of 15 shots on the way to 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers, who nevertheless pushed the lead back to 11 midway through the third as James came up with a steal and raced for a dunk.

But again the Nuggets clawed back, pulling level at 74-74 on Murray's pull-up jumper with 2:10 left in the third, only for the Lakers to pull away again to lead by three, 79-76, going into the final period.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2023-no-point-paying-gavaskar-slams-injured-jofra-archer-says-what-has-he-given-mi-in-return-594031">IPL 2023: 'No point paying...': Gavaskar slams injured Jofra Archer, says 'what has he given MI in return?'</a>

<h2>Murray the man</h2>

With 9:21 left to play a Murray three-pointer gave the Nuggets the lead for the first time since the first quarter -- and they wouldn't fall behind again.

"I think he was amazing," Jokic said. "When it mattered the most, he made shots and he won us the game, basically."

Denver made seven three-pointers in the fourth quarter -- one less than the Lakers had in the entire contest. Not only did Murray make four of them, he had two steals that set up Bruce Brown and Michael Porter Jr. to hit from beyond the arc.

"Only one of them was uncontested," James said. "Two of Jamal's threes was right in the face of me and AD (Davis).

"The three-point line is what killed us in the fourth, but I didn't see many (defensive) breakdowns though."

Murray, who starred as the Nuggets reached the Western Conference finals in 2020 but missed the last two post-seasons after tearing a left knee ligament in April of 2021, said the Nuggets will need to show the same poise in game three in Los Angeles on Saturday.

"The crowd's going to be into it. They're going to run, they're going to play with a lot of pace, a lot of energy. We've got to be able to handle that."

James said the Lakers, who have won seven straight at home starting with the play-in tournament, can't afford to be complacent about a return to Crypto.com Arena.

"We can't go into any post-season game with comfort," he said. "You've got to be even more on edge when you go home."&nbsp;

The winner of the series will play either the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.

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Jamal Murray scored 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter as a furious finale carried the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday and a 2-0 lead in their NBA Western Conference final series.

Jamal Murray scored 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter as a furious finale carried the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday and a 2-0 lead in their NBA Western Conference final series. Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic racked up another triple-double with 23 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists for the Nuggets, but it was Murray who starred when it mattered most. He made six of seven shots, including four of five from three-point range, playing all 12 minutes of a final period in which Jokic and fellow starters Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Aaron Gordon went scoreless. Murray's exploits were enough for a Nuggets team that had kept it close but couldn't find a way past LeBron James and the Lakers through the first three periods at Denver's Ball Arena. "The game would've been a lot easier if I made them the first half," said Murray, adding he was able to refocus after missing some open shots and was encouraged by his teammates to keep shooting. "Just come out focused and knock them down," he said of his second-half goal. "Don't lose any confidence or anything like that. Just play my game and know they're going to fall if I keep shooting them." James and Austin Reaves scored 22 points apiece for the Lakers and Japanese reserve forward Rui Hachimura delivered a brilliant 21 points off the bench, but the Lakers couldn't stem the tide once Murray got going. Two days after the Nuggets used a dominant first quarter to take control on the way to a game-one victory, it was all tied up at the end of one period. The Lakers pushed their lead to as many as 11 in the second quarter before coming up empty on 10 straight attempts -- a dry spell ended by James's driving finger-roll layup. James, who also had nine rebounds and 10 assists, then found Hachimura for an alley-oop dunk that put the Lakers up 53-48 at halftime. Anthony Davis made just four of 15 shots on the way to 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers, who nevertheless pushed the lead back to 11 midway through the third as James came up with a steal and raced for a dunk. But again the Nuggets clawed back, pulling level at 74-74 on Murray's pull-up jumper with 2:10 left in the third, only for the Lakers to pull away again to lead by three, 79-76, going into the final period. ALSO READ | IPL 2023: 'No point paying...': Gavaskar slams injured Jofra Archer, says 'what has he given MI in return?' Murray the man With 9:21 left to play a Murray three-pointer gave the Nuggets the lead for the first time since the first quarter -- and they wouldn't fall behind again. "I think he was amazing," Jokic said. "When it mattered the most, he made shots and he won us the game, basically." Denver made seven three-pointers in the fourth quarter -- one less than the Lakers had in the entire contest. Not only did Murray make four of them, he had two steals that set up Bruce Brown and Michael Porter Jr. to hit from beyond the arc. "Only one of them was uncontested," James said. "Two of Jamal's threes was right in the face of me and AD (Davis). "The three-point line is what killed us in the fourth, but I didn't see many (defensive) breakdowns though." Murray, who starred as the Nuggets reached the Western Conference finals in 2020 but missed the last two post-seasons after tearing a left knee ligament in April of 2021, said the Nuggets will need to show the same poise in game three in Los Angeles on Saturday. "The crowd's going to be into it. They're going to run, they're going to play with a lot of pace, a lot of energy. We've got to be able to handle that." James said the Lakers, who have won seven straight at home starting with the play-in tournament, can't afford to be complacent about a return to Crypto.com Arena. "We can't go into any post-season game with comfort," he said. "You've got to be even more on edge when you go home." The winner of the series will play either the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA Playoffs 2023: 'Amazing' Murray leads Nuggets rally in 108-103 win over Lakers

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