Jamal Murray scored 32 points including the game-winning shot with 3.6 seconds left to lift the Denver Nuggets to a 108-106 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5.
Murray’s buzzer-beater sent the series to the Nuggets in the first round, ending LeBron James’ playoff run in the earliest exit of his career.
“Shout-out to the Lakers, they gave us a great series,” Murray said.
It was a back-and-forth game with 16 lead changes and 10 ties, but Murray and Nikola Jokic led the way for Denver with clutch shots down the stretch.
“Those are shots that you dream of as a little kid,” Murray said.
”I’m just glad they listened to me — and listened to me listening to my body — and just trusting me with it,” he said.
“That kid’s a warrior, man,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone stated. “The bigger the moment, the kid just continues to shine.”
While James had 30 points and 11 assists for the Lakers, the Nuggets advanced to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round.
“First of all, tip your hat to them,” James said. “Defending champions. They’re great team. Super-well coached and made the plays down the stretch to win the series. You give credit where credit is due, that’s for sure.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of our crew despite everything that happened,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “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.”
