Anthony Davis was the hero of the night as the Los Angeles Lakers secured a hard-fought 105-103 win over Denver Nuggets on Sunday night. Davis hit a buzzer-beater three-pointer that gave the Lakers a 2-0 lead in the series and got them one step closer to booking their place in the NBA Finals.
Carried by LeBron James’ 20 points in the first two quarters, it looked like the Lakers are on the route to another easy win entering the second half. They had a 10-point lead and all the momentum. However, as many times before in these playoffs, the Nuggets went to work and mounted a comeback.
Nuggets’ two-man game between Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray was on point once again, and the pair managed to turn the deficit, which was 16 points at one moment, into a 103-102 lead with 20.8 seconds remaining on the clock.
Lakers had the ball in their hands for one final attack, but couldn’t work out a play. Danny Green had a good look from midrange, but Murray came out of nowhere and knocked the ball out of bounds. It seemed like Denver will deservingly equal the series since there were just 2.1 seconds left on the clock.
Then Davis showed up.
Rajon Rondo inbounded the ball and got the ball to Davis, who was cutting to the left sideline after freeing himself of Mason Plumlee. Davis managed to get his feet set and release the shot over Jokic’s outstretched arm in time, draining a buzzer-beating three-pointer.
“People talking about me never being in this moment, pressure, am I ready for it?” said Davis after the game. “I want to take those shots. As part of the legacy, I want those shots, I want the big-time plays. We’re going to live with me or die with me shooting game-winning shots, and I made it. This is what they brought me here for.”
Anthony Davis was the best player on the court, finishing with 31 points and nine rebounds while LeBron James added 26 points, 11 rebounds and four assists for the Lakers.
Nikola Jokic finished the night with 30 points and nine assists, while Jamal Murray had 25 points for the Nuggets.
