2.1 seconds left on the clock. Lakers are down by two. They have an inbound from the baseline. And Anthony Davis is wide open. The Brow hit arguably the most important shot of his NBA career last night in Orlando, while also capping off an eruption of scoring. This allowed Los Angeles to hold a 2-0 lead over the Denver Nuggets, which may push the series in their favor. Although Denver put up a very good fight, in the end, the 'City of Angels' was too much for them to handle.
LeBron and Co. were coming into this series, having two gentlemen's sweep against Portland and Houston in the first and second rounds, respectively. In the first game, they cruised to a victory, having held Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray to a combined 42 pts, although LeBron James only had 15 pts. In Game 2, James knew he had to rise to the occasion to prevent a series tie, and he did just that. The former #1 overall pick had 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Although he was outscored by Davis, LeBron still managed to get more rebounds than him.
On the Denver side, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic combined for 55 points on 43.5% shooting from the field. They both had to pick up the pace for the Nuggets, as the rest of their starting lineup had only 16 points. Coming off the bench, Michael Porter Jr. also had a major contribution to pick up the pace in place of the other starters. Although he still hasn't developed completely, this isn't the time to put him as a starter to get some experience.
Looking back at the Lakers, LeBron's presence gives them a boost, in both confidence and playstyle. He is neck-to-neck as the greatest ever to put his hands on the ball, along with His Airness, Michael Jordan. In the past decade, LeBron is clearly the best and has proved it time and time again. His leadership is unmatched, and he is truly a "player-coach." No matter who the coach is, James is the real decision-maker. In the 2016 Finals, he said that Kyrie Irving would take the last shot, and his coach at the time, Tyronn Lue, just went along with it. There was no stopping the decision of The King. Even in this game, reports say that LeBron suggested that AD should take the final shot. This confused the Nuggets defense and led to the game-winner.
The Nuggets were optimistic in tying the series, but were just short of achieving this. Their effort on the court was clear, and if they continue like this, they are on pace to take the next game.
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