Nuggets Make History

On Monday, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 113-111 in game four of the Western Conference Finals. With the win, the Nuggets advance to the NBA Finals which start on June 1.

First Half

The first half of the game saw the Lakers explode out of the gate, taking an 11-4 lead. The Nuggets kept fighting, tying the game numerous times, but never taking the lead.

31 points, 11-13 from the field, & 4-4 from three.

PLAYOFF. CAREER. HIGH. HALF. pic.twitter.com/Rpu6RSMmq3

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) May 23, 2023

It was a first half that saw LeBron James pull magic out of his hat, dropping 31 points on Denver. The Lakers were up 73-58 going into the half, with the Lakers in control.

Second Half

In the second half of the game, the Nuggets came out swinging, outscoring the Lakers 36-16 in the third quarter. It was a back-and-fourth final quarter with the Nuggets looking to secure the sweep and the Lakers looking to force a game five.

JOKER FOR THE LEAD!

HE'S GOT 30. pic.twitter.com/jFbcvseIh4

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) May 23, 2023

In the end, the Lakers missed two game-tying shots leaving the game in the hands of the Nuggets. LA started the season 2-10 and weren’t expected to make the playoffs this year.

Nuggets

THE BEST IN THE WEST ⚒ pic.twitter.com/tXd4cOLxrq

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) May 23, 2023

The Nuggets made history getting their first sweep in team history. Denver advanced to their first NBA Finals in the teams’ 47 seasons. The Nuggets handed LeBron only his third sweep in his career and the only one to occur prior the NBA Finals.

It was a big series for the Jokic-Murray duo with Jokic scoring 30-14-13 and Murray adding 25 points. Jokic was able to secure the Western Conference Finals MVP. When asked about how he felt, he said, “They put me in this situation…I’m just first among the equals.”

LeBron

A visibly frustrated LeBron hinted at possible retirement when asked about his future in the NBA. It has been known that he wants to start alongside his son, Bronny James, who recently committed to USC and is one of the top prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft.

"I haven't even thought about next year. I don't know." -LeBron James on his future pic.twitter.com/uCDmK6QR86

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) May 23, 2023

It was a season where the Lakers truly didn’t have any all-stars and lacked chemistry. It was a one-man performance last night for LeBron, who dropped 40-10-9 after securing the highest scoring half in his postseason history.

Future

The NBA world will keep an eye on whether or not LeBron returns next season. The Nuggets await the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat (3-0) and the Boston Celtics with Game four tipping off tonight at 8:30.