Denver eliminated Los Angeles from the NBA playoffs with a 108-106 win in Game 5.
DENVER — On to the next one.
The Denver Nuggets advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs Monday night, closing out their opening-round matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers with a 108-106 win in Game 5 at Ball Arena.
Denver, the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, will next face No. 3 Minnesota in the conference semifinals after the Timberwolves swept the Phoenix Suns in their opening-round series.
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was questionable to play Monday after a left calf injury in the previous game had head coach Michael Malone in question about the status of his star. Malone didn’t make the decision to play Murray until just before tip-off.
Murray proved to be fine as he lit up the court with a game-high 32 points, which included hitting the game winner. Michael Porter Jr. also had a hot shooting night, hitting 5 of 7 3-pointers for 26 points.
Murray and Porter Jr. were the catalysts that fueled a 10-2 run to close out the first quarter and a 14-2 run late in the third, during which Denver took its late lead. Although it was just a 3-point deficit, the Nuggets trailed the Lakers at halftime – something they did in all five games this series.
Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic was one assist shy of recording yet another triple-double, scoring 25 points, grabbing 20 rebounds and dishing out 9 assists.
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