LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers crashed out of the NBA playoffs on Monday after defending champions Denver snatched a 108-106 victory to finish a 4-1 sequence triumph.
Jamal Murray scored 32 factors, together with a decisive go-ahead bounce shot with 4 seconds remaining, to ship Denver right into a Western Conference semi-final towards Minnesota.
The Lakers, bidding to turn into the primary group in NBA playoff historical past to overturn a 3-0 sequence deficit, had seemed poised to pressure a sport six again in Los Angeles after a gutsy show noticed them edge 9 factors clear within the third quarter.
But Denver confirmed their excellent championship pedigree as soon as once more down the stretch and it was Murray who utilized the coup de grace in a frantic finale, coolly working down the clock earlier than draining the successful basket.
NBA icon James in the meantime completed with 30 factors to steer the Lakers’ scoring with 11 assists and 9 rebounds.
Lakers defensive stalwart Anthony Davis, who appeared troubled by a shoulder harm for a lot of the sport, had 17 factors with 15 rebounds and 4 assists.
But the Lakers had been in the end undone by Denver’s better offensive efficiency and defensive energy.
Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic backed up Murray with 25 factors, 20 rebounds and 9 assists, whereas Michael Porter Jr. had 26 factors together with 5 three-pointers.
The usually correct Lakers had been additionally left to rue 9 missed free throws, together with 4 within the fourth quarter, that proved pricey.
“It’s one of those games man, they’re a hell of a team,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham stated after the defeat.
“They’re defending champs for a reason, I’ve been saying it the entire year, and the entire series, they know how to gut out wins, they’ve been there before.
“But I couldn’t be prouder of our group. Our guys showed a lot of guts, a lot of character and resilience to continue to fight.
“But you know, the intangibles, they got us again. We missed some free throws and gave up some second-chance points late. It is what it is. You just got to learn from it and grow and come back better mentally, spiritually and physically.”
Thunder roll, Celtics on brink
Elsewhere Monday, the Oklahoma City Thunder sealed a 4-0 sequence sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans to e book their place within the NBA playoffs second spherical.
Western Conference high seeds Oklahoma City lastly acquired the higher of New Orleans with a late scoring burst within the fourth quarter to finish a 97-89 street victory in Louisiana.
The Pelicans led by 5 factors with simply over eight minutes remaining earlier than Oklahoma City responded with an 18-2 run to shut out victory in a hard-fought contest that noticed the lead change fingers 19 instances.
Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder scoring with 24 factors apiece whereas Chet Holmgren and Josh Giddey every scored 14 and Luguentz Dort 11.
It was the Thunder’s first playoff sequence win since 2016 and leaves them going through a Western Conference semi-final towards both the Los Angeles Clippers or Dallas Mavericks.
“This was probably our hardest game,” Williams stated afterwards. “We weren’t hitting shots but I think defensively we locked in down the stretch.
“We’re all together through thick and thin, through the ups and downs of the season. We’ve hung in there together and now you see the result.”
Elsewhere on Monday, Derrick White scored 38 factors because the top-seeded Boston Celtics dominated Miami 102-88 on the street to take a 3-1 lead of their best-of-seven sequence.
After a 20-point win over Miami in sport three Saturday, Boston picked up the place they left off with one other emphatic efficiency over final season’s Eastern Conference champions.
White set the tone for Boston with an electrical first-quarter show, rattling in 16 factors within the opening body — together with 4 three-pointers — to assist the Celtics take a 10-point lead heading into the second quarter.
Boston saved up the stress to open up a 53-36 half-time benefit.
The Celtics stretched the result in 28 factors at one stage within the third quarter, and although Miami rallied within the fourth, narrowing the deficit to 13 factors with simply over 5 minutes remaining, Boston’s grip on the lead by no means seemed in critical jeopardy.
The win means the Celtics can clinch their place within the second spherical, the place they’ll face both Orlando or Cleveland, with a victory in sport 5 Wednesday again in Boston.
