LOS ANGELES (KDVR) — The Denver Nuggets made history Monday night with a sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers, sending them to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
After trailing in the first half of Game 4, the Nuggets came back for a 113-111 win over the Lakers in the final seconds of the game. It’s a history-making win: Not only will it send the team to its first finals series, but it’s also the first time the Nuggets have bested the Lakers in the playoffs.
The Nuggets will now play for their first-ever championship against either the Boston Celtics or Miami Heat. Miami leads that series 3-0, with Game 4 set for Tuesday. None of the NBA teams with a 0-3 record in the playoffs have rallied back to win the series.
The finals are set to begin on June 1.
Nikola Jokic had 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists. Jamal Murray scored 25 points for the top-seeded Nuggets, who overcame LeBron James’ personal-record, 31-point first half and a 15-point halftime deficit with a tenacious finish in Game 4 to earn their first conference title in their 47 NBA seasons.
The Lakers led 73-58 at halftime on Monday night. But the Nuggets responded with a relentless third quarter, taking their first lead less than eight minutes after halftime. Denver pushed its lead to seven before the Lakers rallied, with Anthony Davis’ putback dunk tying it with 5:02 to play.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
