Nuggets vs. Lakers: Nikola Jokic has another triple-double as Denver holds lead in fourth quarter
Jokic #Jokic
After battling past the Timberwolves and Suns, the No. 1-seeded Nuggets make their fifth appearance in the NBA’s Western Conference Finals where they’re set to face the team that ousted them the three previous times. Stick here for live updates and analysis as Denver takes on the Lakers at Ball Arena in Denver.
Live updates Fourth-quarter updates
Challenge works (8:55 p.m.): And… the foul goes to Jokic. Challenge works, kind of. — Matt Schubert
Challenge coming (8:52 p.m.): Michael Malone is going to challenge a blocking foul on Jamal Murray that would be his fifth. From this novice’s perspective, this will end up getting switched over to Joker, who has plenty of fouls to spare. Smart challenge from the Nuggets. You do not want to even chance losing Murray late. — Matt Schubert
Order restored (8:48 p.m.): Michael Porter Jr. is having himself a game. His second block of the night, this time on Rui Hachimura, leads to another basket on the other end. Nuggets 118, Lakers 104 with 7:14 to go. — Matt Schubert
MPJ’s presence (8:47 p.m.): MPJ: 15 points, 9 boards, two giant blocks. A game-high +29. — Mike Singer
We got a game (8:37 p.m.): The Lakers are starting to chip away. Three-point play from LeBron on Jamal in the post. A 3-pointer from Austin Reaves. The Nuggets are two circus 3-pointers from this being a one possession game. The lead is eight after Jamal Murray’s 3-pointer was changed to a two. Nuggets 108, Lakers 100. — Matt Schubert
Third-quarter analysis — Nuggets 106, Lakers 92
Bennett Durando, sports reporter: Efficient 13-point third quarter for Anthony Davis and an 11-2 run for the Lakers late in the quarter … then Nikola Jokic reluctantly drains a Steph Curry-range buzzer beater to zap some of the momentum. Nuggets don’t yield a large enough lead to rest Jokic the final five minutes tonight.
Sean Keeler, sports columnist: And Nikola Jokic twists another dagger, this time in the back of Anthony Davis. Joker smiles and shrugs. AD shakes his head. Destiny wears Denver blue.
Mark Kiszla, sports columnist: After Nikola Jokic swished a 3 from the logo at the buzzer to end the 3Q, Anthony Davis gave him a helpless look of WTF. Well, that’s fabulous.
Matt Schubert, deputy sports editor: Nikola Jokic can do literally nothing wrong. Even Anthony Davis could only stare in disbelief after the Joker buried a ridiculous 3-pointer at the third quarter buzzer. Davis has been good: 31 points, six rebounds, two blocks on 12-of-19 shooting. Jokic has been great: 31 points, 19 rebounds, 12 assists on 12-of-15 shooting.
Third-quarter updates
END OF THIRD (8:29 p.m.): A small run from the Lakers means the Nuggets are going to have to do a little something in the fourth quarter to walk away with the W. Nuggets 106, Lakers 92. — Matt Schubert
Building a team (8:25 p.m.): If Calvin Booth had been the one to “finish” the Rockies’ rebuild five years ago instead of Jeff Bridich, there’d be at least two more playoff banners hanging at Coors Field. At least. Bruce Brown, baby. Mmm, mmm, mmm. Enjoy. — Sean Keeler
100 mark (8:23 p.m.): The Nuggets have passed the century mark… with three minutes left in the third quarter. The last two came on a Bruce Brown dunk. This is turning into a laugher. Nuggets 101, Lakers 81. — Matt Schubert
KCP heating up (8:21 p.m.): After just four points in the first half, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has added 12 in the third quarter. Nuggets up 99-79 with 3:43 to go. — Joe Nguyen
Still rolling (8:16 p.m.): Second half, and not much else has changed. The Nuggets are getting whatever they want on offense, and the Lakers are grinding it out on the other end while making up zero ground. Dare I say the Joker looks quicker than Anthony Davis? — Matt Schubert
Triple-double (8:15 p.m.): Nikola Jokic’s line: 23 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists. There’s still 6:15 to go in the third. — Joe Nguyen
Nikola Jokic reaches 23-17-10 with 6:05 remaining in the third quarter and forces another Los Angeles timeout with Denver up 90-70. KCP is hitting shots now, too. This one might be over. — Bennett Durando
Precision (8:13 p.m.): When Nikola Jokic retires, pretty sure he’s got a career as a surgeon. — Mike Singer
Murray’s touch continues (8:05 p.m.): We’ve seen this Jamal Murray before. He was heating up at the end of the first half. He opens the second with a pair of 3-pointers. — Joe Nguyen
Halftime analysis — Nuggets 72, Lakers 54
Bennett Durando, sports reporter: Well, it’s no 81-point half, but 72 will have to do. The Lakers are nowhere near as fast as Denver. Maybe it’s the altitude. Or maybe there’s just a clearly better team in this series. Not to be lost in Jokic’s remarkable half, Jamal Murray is cooking with 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting.
Sean Keeler, sports columnist: No. 1 seed 72, No. 7 seed 54. If it wasn’t for all the names on the front of the jerseys and all that history, this thing would be over already.
Mark Kiszla, sports columnist: Halftime musings: Cover your eyes, Mark Jackson. Nikola Jokic has 19 pts, 16 rebounds, 7 assists at the half.
Matt Schubert, deputy sports editor: The Joker has shown up. Jamal has shown up (17 points, three assists). Bruce Brown has most definitely shown up (14 points, four rebounds). Who hasn’t? A Lakers back court that no longer gets to feast on Golden State’s subpar defenders. Dennis Schroeder, D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves were a combined 4 of 15 from the floor.
Second-quarter updates
HALFTIME (7:49 p.m.): Jamal Murray buries an elbow jumper to give the Nuggets their largest lead of the game at the end of the first half. 72-54, Denver going into the break. Nikola Jokic’s line: 19 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks. Good golly. — Matt Schubert
Two-way MPJ (7:43 p.m.): Michael Porter Jr. swats a shot by Austin Reaves and is immediately rewarded on the other end with a pass for a 3-pointer. — Joe Nguyen
Yes, that Michael Porter Jr. with the swipe from behind on Austin Reaves. Yes, that’s MPJ burying a 3-pointer on the other end. The Nuggets are rolling. — Matt Schubert
Bruce Brown attacking (7:40 p.m.): Anytime Bruce Brown sees Russell in front of him and nobody at the rim, he’s attacking. As well he should. — Matt Schubert
Jokic cooking (7:39 p.m.): Jokic didn’t take kindly to the Anthony Davis block on his post-up a few minutes ago. Cooked Davis with a spin move just now. — Bennett Durando
Big men battle (7:36 p.m.): That Anthony Davis block of Nikola Jokic is the thing Deandre Ayton could never deliver last series when the Suns made him guard Jokic on an island. Of course, the Joker took AD off the dribble a few possessions later. The days of easing back against Draymond Green and Co. are over. Jokic makes you guard the whole court. — Matt Schubert
Jokic’s rebounds (7:31 p.m.): In case you’re wondering, Nikola Jokic’s career high for rebounds in an NBA playoff game is 22. He has 14 with 7:46 to go in the second quarter. — Joe Nguyen
Running it up (7:24 p.m.): Bruce Brown doing what he does best: Injecting instant energy into the Nuggets lineup. After back-to-back transition buckets, the Nuggets now lead 12-2 on fast-break points. This is threatening to turn into a laugher … with Nikola Jokic resting on the bench. Nuggets 44, Lakers 27 with 10:12 left in the first half. — Matt Schubert
Keep it rolling (7:23 p.m.): Not ideal when you have to use a timeout to stop a Nuggets run while Nikola Jokic is getting a long rest. — Bennett Durando
Um, Nuggets extend the lead (7-2 run to start the second quarter) with Joker on the bench. That’s a math problem Denver’s down with. — Mike Singer
Hot start for Brown (7:21 p.m.): Hello Bruce Brown. The Nuggets’ sixth man has 11 points and three rebounds in just under seven minutes of play. Nuggets up 44-27.
First-quarter analysis — Nuggets 37, Lakers 25
Bennett Durando, sports reporter: The Nuggets went eight deep in a 37-25 first quarter, and the beauty of it was six players scoring at least four points, but none registering more than eight. All that was missing was that Braun corner 3-pointer attempt toward the end.
Sean Keeler, sports columnist: Talked to a bunch of Lakers fans Tuesday and they all said the same thing: They were scared witless about Nikola Jokic, and the fact that their bench had a lot of shooters but not a lot of, well, height. And they were right to be worried. The Nuggs ended the first period with more offensive boards (nine) than L.A. had rebounds, period (seven). Feast, Joker. Feast.
Mark Kiszla, sports columnist: Nikola Jokic ain’t bad for a guy 6th on Mark Jackson’s MVP ballot.
Scott Monserud, sports editor: At this rate ESPN will come out for Jokic as MVP by halftime after a season of all but ignoring him.
Matt Schubert, deputy sports editor: Hard to imagine a much better start to a series than that. The Nuggets ran at will, with Nikola Jokic beating Anthony Davis down the court with regularity. They dominated the glass (22-6!). And they’re leading 37-25 despite not shooting the lights out (15 of 30). A 2-for-7 start for Davis offers a strong hint at which version of AD showed up to Ball Arena tonight. (Hint: Not the good one).
Mike Singer, Nuggets beat writer: Do the Lakers know this is Game 1 of the West Finals? They were slow, tentative and dare I say … soft in the first quarter.
First-quarter updates
LeRevival (7:12 p.m.): LeBron James comes back into the game with a fervor. A couple of aggressive baskets and a big chase-down block. Denver still up 34-23. — Joe Nguyen
Extra (7:12 p.m.): Some extracurriculars between Joker and AD on that Lakers offensive possession. Neither has a foul yet. — Mike Singer
Are we still in Phoenix? (7:08 p.m.): Because this feels a little like the first half of Game 6 so far, the way Denver is imposing its will. I knew Aaron Gordon was feeling himself when he locked down LeBron James on an early possession then called for an iso at the other end. Sure, he got swatted by Anthony Davis on that drive, but since then he has a hammer dunk. No Nugget is lacking confidence right now. Michael Porter Jr. took advantage of Los Angeles’s small-ball lineup with five early points and three early boards. — Bennett Durando
Owning the glass (7:03 p.m.): Lakers coach Darvin Ham turns around in disgust after Joker gobbles up another offensive rebound. The rebounding dispartity is now 19-3. Nikola Jokic has 11 rebounds in the first eight minutes of the first quarter. — Mike Singer
Nikola Jokic has 10 rebounds in the first eight minutes of Game 1. — Bennett Durando
Nikola Jokic has double-digit rebounds, and there’s still four minutes left in the first quarter. This is looking like its going to be a thing. Nuggets cruising up 28-14. — Matt Schubert
Jokic being Jokic (7 p.m.): Six-and-a-half minutes into the game and the two-time MVP has six points, seven rebounds and four assists. — Joe Nguyen
Running on empty (7 p.m.): One thing is clear early on: If the Nuggets can get out and run, the Lakers are in trouble. Can a team be gassed in the first quarter? — Matt Schubert
Hot start (6:56 p.m.): An 11-2 rebounding edge for the Nuggets to begin the game? Not bad. Not bad at all. Denver up 18-9 after the Lakers were forced to take a timeout following Jamal Murray’s transition lay in. — Matt Schubert
Flying D (6:55 p.m.): What’s more, Denver’s defense is *flying* around, creating fastbreak chances. All five starters have scored, and Nuggets lead 18-9 before Ham takes a TO. — Mike Singer
Already a Lakers timeout to stop early bleeding. The Nuggets are out-rebounding LA 11-2 for an 18-9 lead. — Bennett Durando
Owning the glass (6:53 p.m.): Three offensive rebounds on one possession for Jokic. Plus MPJ crashing the offensive glass. Nuggets winning the boards early. — Bennett Durando
MPJ’s strong start (6:53 p.m.): MPJ’s been excellent four-plus minutes in. Stopped ‘Bron in isolation, buried a 3, hit the offensive boards. That’s the production they need if Lakers go small. — Mike Singer
Hot start (6:52 p.m.): Four minutes into the game and the Nuggets already have 14 points. Denver’s up 14-7. — Joe Nguyen
Pregame updates
Boo-urns (6:45 p.m.): Boos drown out the Lakers’ introductions. And when Joker was introduced, Ball Arena roared. The loudest I’ve ever heard it before the game. — Mike Singer
Lineup choices (6:39 p.m.): Really thought Ham would start Vando instead of Schroder for length, defensive versatility, etc. An obvious counter if Nuggets win Game 1. Means MPJ has to be aggressive from the jump. Game 1 … loading. — Mike Singer
The odds (6:14 p.m.): The Nuggets are entering the game as 6.5-point favorites over the Lakers, according to BetMGM. The over-under for total points is 222.5. (Basically, they’re predicting roughly a 114-108 or 115-108 win for Denver.) — Joe Nguyen
Jamal Murray update (5:45 p.m.): Jamal Murray is active for tonight, I’m told. — Mike Singer
How they compare (4:30 p.m.): As the Denver Nuggets enter the Western Conference Finals for the second time in four seasons, a breakdown of their matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, including who has the edge, five things to watch and series predictions. — Joe Nguyen
Game predictions
Bennett Durando, sports reporter: The Nuggets strut into the Western Conference Finals averaging 114 points per game at home these playoffs. Sure, the Lakers might be more defensively imposing — but I’m not betting against Denver hitting that average with a juiced burgundy T-shirt-wearing crowd that didn’t get to experience this in 2020. So how do the Lakers generate 115 points? They need one of those games from an Austin Reaves or Lonnie Walker. Not happening. Pick: Nuggets 121, Lakers 103
Sean Keeler, sports columnist: The Lakers are 5-0 this postseason when D’Angelo Russell pours in at least 18 points; they’re 4-0 when Austin Reeves goes for 18 or more. Can the Nuggets keep the Lake Show from finding an outlet for King James and AD, prevent a third or fourth scoring option from beating them? Rui Hachimura dropped 29 on Memphis in Game 1 of the first round: Dennis Schroder put up 19 on the Warriors during that series opener. If the Nuggs are to break the Lake Show’s Game 1 win streak, they’ve gotta prevent a role player from breaking out on the road. Pick: Nuggets 119, Lakers 114.
Mark Kiszla, sports columnist: On my way to the bathroom, I opened door to hallway, and nearly collided with Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, sprinting at top speed as part as his pre-game warmup. This series — and perhaps my career — could have come to an untimely end in that pile-up. Whew. Crisis avoided. My pick: Dunno, I’m still shaking in the wake of that runaway Jokic.
Matt Schubert, deputy sports editor: The Nuggets are 1-6 in Game 1s against the Lakers, with the lone winning coming in their first meeting way back in 1979. Of course, that also happens to be the only time Denver hosted a series opener against the Lake Show, so context matters. That’s the case here as well. Not only are the Nuggets hosting, they’re playing the best basketball of any team left in the playoffs (sorry, Miami). They won their first two series openers against Minnesota and Phoenix by a combined 47 points. The Lakers keep it close … comparatively speaking. Pick: Nuggets 111, Lakers 101.
Mike Singer, Nuggets beat writer: Denver’s altitude plays a role, and the Nuggets take advantage of a rowdy, raucous crowd. If you take a step back, this is basically the biggest series of Joker’s career. Yes, they made it to the conference finals in the Bubble, but that was in a sterilized outpost of the country. Tonight, they get to do it front of their fans. Pick: Nuggets 105, Lakers 101.
Nuggets-Lakers Game 1: Must reads From sidelines to pickleball courts, Nuggets coach Michael Malone’s searing intensity spurs conference finals run
The fiery, occasionally stubborn eighth-year veteran has survived the incessant churn of the NBA’s coaching carousel to become the fourth-longest tenured head coach in the league. He’s also got the Nuggets back in the Western Conference Finals for the second time in four seasons, where they’ll tip off against the Lakers in Game 1 on Tuesday night.
To those who’ve watched Denver’s rise, Malone’s searing intensity, whether stalking the sidelines or barking into an official’s ear, is an unmistakable attribute of this team. It’s as ever-present as Nikola Jokic’s wizardry or Jamal Murray’s sneer — even on the pickleball court.
It was hard to miss that Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis, where somewhere between his meticulous preparation for the Wolves and a healthy first-round lead, Malone allowed himself to decompress a bit, Mike Singer reports. Read more.
LeBron James on Denver Nuggets entering Western Conference Finals bubble rematch: “They’re better, but they were great then.”
What the Joker claims he can’t recall, the King refuses to overlook. The last time the Nuggets and Lakers met in the Western Conference Finals, they were quarantined at Disney World and LeBron James was hellbent on bringing a championship banner back to Disney Land for the first time in a decade. Los Angeles advanced in five games, then won the title.
What James remembers isn’t the number of games the series lasted, but rather the margin for error. He remembers a series in which no game was decided by more than 12 points, one in which the only reason L.A. didn’t trail 2-1 was an Anthony Davis buzzer beater.
Just how highly does LeBron think of the No. 1 seed in the West? He described the Nuggets with one “really” for every win he must muster in order to spoil Denver’s save-the-date at the NBA Finals, Bennett Durando reports. Read more.
Kiszla: Nikola Jokic and LeBron James couldn’t more different as basketball players. But their secret sauce is the same.
LeBron James and Nikola Jokic share one gift from the basketball gods that make them NBA immortals. They see a beautiful game muggles like us find so incomprehensible that all we can do is sit back and giggle with delight at the magic Joker and King James make happen on the court.
“A lot of guys are playing checkers; Nikola and LeBron are master chess players,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone, blessed to have worked alongside both at different points in his coaching career, giving him a chance to peer inside their minds and get blinded by the light. “They see things three or four steps ahead of everybody else on the court, and it gives them the ability to make everybody around them better. It’s ridiculous.”
James is from Krypton; he descended upon the league wearing Superman’s cape. Jokic appears to have wandered into the NBA from a Serbian diner after a fine meal of cabbage rolls. But it’s their basketball vision that will go a long way to determining the winner between the Lakers and Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, Mark Kiszla writes. Read more.
Keeler: The best way for Anthony Davis, Lakers to slow down Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic? Kidnapping might actually be it.
Darvin Ham waxed poetic about Nikola Jokic Monday the way Broncos scribes yap about Patrick Mahomes.
You gush. You glorify. You genuflect. You joke about committing a felony to try and keep a legend from showing up. Only the more you think about it in real time, the better idea said felony becomes.
“(We’re going to) try to catch him coming out of his house and kidnap him,” the Lakers coach cracked at Ball Arena when asked about defending the Nuggets’ star center. Ham’s grin said he was kidding. We think, Sean Keeler writes. Read more.
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