Jamal Murray sinks the buzzer-beater to put the Nuggets past the Lakers in Game 2

DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray didn’t even see the biggest basket of his career. At least he didn’t live, he didn’t live.

Murray took a 15-foot step-back pass over Anthony Davis at the buzzer Monday night, giving the Denver Nuggets a stunning 101-99 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers and capping a comeback from a 20-point second-half deficit.

Murray fell to the Nuggets bench with Davis just as his shot floated into the net and the roar of the crowd shook Ball Arena.

“I just lost my balance and fell. I think AD was in my way or someone was in my way and I heard everyone screaming and that’s how I knew it was happening,” said Murray, who was mobbed by his teammates after his bucket gave the reigning NBA champions their 10th straight victory over the Lakers.

More importantly, it gave Denver a 2-0 lead in its Western Conference series which heads to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Thursday night.

Murray missed 13 of his first 16 shots and was by far the most agitated, exhausted and frustrated of all his teammates when it appeared the Nuggets were going to lose to the Lakers for the first time in 494 days.

“I told my teammates when I was in trouble, ‘I’m going to get you,’ and every one of them told me to keep shooting,” said Murray, who did so, scoring 6 on 8 for 14. points in the fourth quarter to finish with 20 points.

“They told me to stay aggressive and keep looking for it, keep chasing and when I had the ball with 2 seconds left, I knew once I made a few, the next one should also fall.”

Nuggets coach Michael Malone opted not to call a timeout after Michael Porter Jr. grabbed the rebound of LeBron James’ missed 3-pointer with 13 seconds left and the game ended at 99.

“We made the save. Draw. Why let them settle in? » Malone reasoned. “Because when they can prepare and they change everything, you might not even put the ball in bounds. So I wanted to make sure we could just go out there and let our best players play.

Murray faked a 3-pointer, had AD close, then beat him to his spot along the right baseline for a clear look.

“That’s Jamal Murray right there,” Malone said. “He can fight, he can fight, he can fight. He sees one come in and he never shy away from the moment, in the spotlight. And it was just an incredible piece.

Nikola Jokic said Murray “hit the tough shots today and missed the easy ones. It was that kind of game.

When asked to follow that final sequence, Davis hesitated, saying simply, “Jamal Murray made a shot,” then stood up, dropped the mic — and not figuratively — and left the post-match podium.

Jokic had a triple-double with 27 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists. Porter added 22 points and Aaron Gordon 14 for Denver.

Davis led the Lakers with 32 points, James had 26 and D’Angelo Russell added 23 with a playoff career-high seven 3s, including six in the first half to help the Lakers take a commanding lead. 59-44 at the break.

The Lakers extended their advantage to 68-48 two minutes into the second half and they still led by 10 entering the fourth quarter.

“I don’t have a 20-point game,” Malone said. “You just have to keep snacking.”

They did, eventually tying it at 95 on Porter’s 3-pointer with 1:15 left before the final frenzied minute.

“A 20-point lead in this league is not a sure thing, especially against the defending champion,” James said. “We have to do better. But we had our chances.