Jamal Murray wins the second game as the Nuggets defeat the Lakers.

With only 3.6 seconds remaining on Monday night, Jamal Murray overcame a strained left calf, the management’s recommendation that he sit this one out, and another haymaker from the Los Angeles Lakers to score 32 points and sink the game-winning basket.
LeBron James was forced to depart the playoffs at his earliest opportunity, and the Denver Nuggets staggered into Round 2 after a 108-106 victory in Game 5 that saw 16 lead changes, 10 ties, and was sealed only when Taurean Prince’s half-court heave failed with seconds remaining.

The team’s first postseason buzzer-beater was made by Murray in Game 2 of the Western Conference first-round series. “Shoutout to the Lakers, they gave us a great series,” Murray added.
Murray described this shot as just “a little better,” saying, “Those are shots that you dream of as a little kid.”
Based on data from ESPN Stats & Information, the Nuggets point guard is the only player in the last 25 seasons to have two go-ahead shots in the last five seconds of a single postseason series. He is the fourth player in the history of the playoffs to accomplish it more than once.
Without his unwavering perseverance and stubbornness, Murray would never have had the opportunity to win the series.
Murray warmed up with an ice pack strapped to his injured calf. “I came in a little earlier today to see if I was going to be able to go, and I felt like I could and they just didn’t want me to risk it,” Murray said. “They declined to speak with me. They declined to speak with me.I also didn’t refuse. Murray said, “I didn’t want to leave my teammates out there. I missed 23 games in 2023–2024 due to injuries. “This season, we have been at war. Everybody gets harmed at some time and experiences something, and if I couldn’t play this game, I simply couldn’t live with myself.”I’m simply happy that they trusted me with it and that I listened to them as well as my body.”
With 26 seconds remaining, James’ two free throws knotted the score at 106, and the Nuggets, as they did in Game 2, decided against using a timeout. Shaking Austin Reaves as he entered the lane, Murray grabbed the ball on a high screen-and-roll to his left, swishing the 14-foot shot.
The Nuggets’ coach, Michael Malone, said, “That kid’s a warrior, man.” “The bigger the moment, the kid just continues to shine.”
Michael Porter Jr. scored 26 points, while Nikola Jokic, who had an unusual seven turnovers, came dangerously close to recording his 19th triple-double in the playoffs with 25 points, 20 rebounds, and 9 assists.
After slamming his left shoulder into Porter in the second half, Anthony Davis had 17 points and 15 rebounds but seemed uncomfortable in the closing minutes. James finished with 30 points and 11 assists.
Next weekend, the Nuggets will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the playoffs. The Nuggets, who are a conference-best 36-8 overall and 3-0 in the playoffs, will start that series at Denver. It wasn’t that simple, however.
The Nuggets trailed for over three-fourths of the game throughout this series, struggled through protracted shooting slumps, and are a seriously injured team that could use more rest.
James responded, “Tip your hat to them first.” “Supporting winners. They make a fantastic team. Extremely well-coached, they produced the necessary plays in the closing stages to win the series. You definitely give credit where credit is due.”
After Davis scored 16 points in the first half, Murray’s total, the Lakers lead 53–50 at the break. They extended their lead to nine points, but the Nuggets capitalized on a 21-10 surge to conclude the half with an 81-79 edge that remained close until the final whistle.
The Nuggets defeated the Lakers for the twelfth time in their previous 13 meetings, having previously defeated them in the Western Conference finals last summer on route to the team’s first NBA title.
The Phoenix Suns defeated Los Angeles in six games in 2021, the only other time James was ousted in the first round of the playoffs.
Thus, even though the Lakers pushed the defending champions to the limit in each of the five games, this was James’ shortest postseason run in his 17 years.
“Despite everything that transpired, I couldn’t be more proud of our crew,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham, who will undoubtedly come under fire, stated. “Obviously, the series didn’t go in our favor, didn’t start the way we wanted it to, but to win that one at home, fight tooth and nail today to get this one, our guys showed a lot of guts and a lot of character.”

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