Trailing by as many as 20 points in the second half, the Nuggets roared back behind Murray’s heroics. Murray and Nikola Jokic repeatedly exposed the Lakers’ defense with pick-and-roll plays, and Murray tied the score at 97 with two free throws with under a minute remaining.
After James missed a 3-pointer, Murray grabbed the rebound and drove to the basket, fading away over Davis for the game-winning shot. The victory gives the Nuggets a commanding 2-0 lead in the series and extends their winning streak against the Lakers to 10 games.
The Nuggets’ starters remain undefeated (37-0) when playing a Western Conference team at home.
In 2020, the Nuggets nearly pulled off a similar comeback against the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, but Davis’ buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave the Lakers a 2-0 lead and helped propel them to the NBA championship. Murray’s clutch performance in Game 2 has put the Nuggets in a strong position to return the favor and potentially reach the Finals this year.
