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Jamal Murray made a last-minute jump shot as the defending champion Denver Nuggets sent LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers crashing out of the NBA playoffs with a decisive 108-106 series victory Monday .
Murray’s sublime go-ahead goal with four seconds remaining settled another thrilling battle between the Western Conference rivals and capped a 4-1 series victory for Denver, who will now face Minnesota in the next round.
Murray finished with 32 points while teammate Nikola Jokic had 25 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists as the Lakers’ attempt to overturn a 3-0 series deficit failed in front of 19,861 fans at Ball Arena from Denver.
NBA icon James, meanwhile, finished with 30 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds to lead the Lakers in scoring in what was the final act of his 21st NBA season.
Afterward, James refused to comment on his future plans, saying he would now spend time with his family before preparing for this summer’s Olympics.
When asked if Monday’s loss could have been his last game for the Lakers, James smiled and said, “I’m not going to answer that question.”
Lakers defensive stalwart Anthony Davis, who appeared troubled by a shoulder injury for much of the game, had 17 points with 15 rebounds and four assists.
“They’re a heck of a team,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said of Denver after the loss.
“They’re the defending champions for a reason, I’ve said it all year and the whole series, they know how to knock out wins, they’ve been there before.”
Nuggets coach Michael Malone praised winner Murray, who also had a buzzer-beater in Game 2 of the series.
“For Jamal to add to his playoff tradition by having two game-winners in a series is just incredible,” Malone said.
“This kid is a warrior. I can’t say enough good things about Jamal Murray. The bigger the moment, the more the child continues to shine.
Thunderbolt, the Celtics on the brink of the abyss
Elsewhere on Monday, the Oklahoma City Thunder earned a 4-0 sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans to book their spot in the second round of the NBA playoffs.
Western Conference top seed Oklahoma City finally got the better of New Orleans with a late fourth-quarter goal to earn a 97-89 road victory in Louisiana.
The Pelicans led by five points with just over eight minutes remaining before Oklahoma City responded with an 18-2 run to close out the victory in a hard-fought contest that saw the lead change hands 19 times.
Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 24 points each while Chet Holmgren and Josh Giddey each scored 14 and Luguentz Dort 11.
It was the Thunder’s first playoff victory since 2016 and puts them facing a Western Conference semifinal against the Los Angeles Clippers or Dallas Mavericks.
“That was probably our toughest game,” Williams said afterward. “We didn’t make any shots, but I think defensively we were able to stay locked in until the end.
“We are all together through thick and thin, through the ups and downs of the season. We held on together and now you see the result.
Elsewhere on Monday, Derrick White scored 38 points as the top-seeded Boston Celtics dominated Miami 102-88 on the road to take a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven series.
After a 20-point win over Miami in Game 3 on Saturday, Boston picked up where it left off with another emphatic performance against last season’s Eastern Conference champions.
White set the tone for Boston with an electric first quarter, scoring 16 points in the first quarter – including four three-pointers – to help the Celtics take a 10-point lead heading into the second quarter.
Boston kept the pressure on to open a 53-36 halftime advantage.
The Celtics stretched their lead to 28 points at one point in the third quarter, and although Miami rallied in the fourth, cutting the lead to 13 points with just over five minutes remaining, the Boston’s hold on the lead never seemed seriously threatened.
The win means the Celtics can clinch their spot in the second round, where they will face Orlando or Cleveland, with a victory in Game 5 on Wednesday in Boston.
