Home

NBA

“So Rigged”: All Hell Breaks Loose as Jamal Murray Forces LeBron James’ Lakers Into Bitter Embarrassment

Published 04/23/2024, 12:51 AM EDT

Follow Us

USA Today via Reuters

The Los Angeles Lakers’ curse continues! Following Saturday’s Game 1 beatdown, LeBron James and Co. came into Ball Arena tonight, hoping to even the series against Denver. But Jamal Murray had a different plan in mind. With the game swinging back and forth in the final quarter, Murray hit a game-winning buzzer-beater to lead Denver to a 101-99 victory.

Many Nuggets fans believed all hope was lost when the Lakers took a commanding 20-point lead in the third quarter. However, Nikola Jokic and Co. pulled up their socks and mustered a miraculous comeback in the final period. A few wild sequences toward the end of the game caused Ball Arena to leave their seats and cheer in unison. First, the Denver crowd gasped as LeBron James stole the ball from Murray and flushed a tomahawk dunk to extend the Lakers’ lead to 3 points.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

But the Nuggets did not lose motivation and quickly transitioned to the other end. Their resilience led to Michael Porter Jr. hitting a wild shot from beyond the arc to tie the game at 95 with over 1 minute remaining on the clock. As the clock ticked down, D’Angelo Russell silenced the crowd once again after hitting a tough floater on the other end. That is when Jamal Murray took over. He tied the game with a smooth mid-range shot. Then, LeBron James got a wide-open shot to take a three-point lead, but he bricked the shot. And the Nuggets took advantage of the situation by deciding not to call a timeout. The sequence led to Murray going one-on-one against Davis and knocking down a step-back jumper to win the game and send the crowd into a frenzy.

NBA World reacts to wild finish in Denver

Denver’s unbelievable comeback was enough to ignite the NBA World on social media. Fans took to X to express what they had just witnessed on the court. And one fan even tweeted, “This sh*t so rigged.”

LeBron James’ biggest critic and veteran analyst, Skip Bayless, could not believe Denver won despite the 20-point deficit and prayed to the Lord.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Even analyst Chris Broussard was left speechless after watching the Lakers choke in Denver.

One Warriors fan account called Nuggets vs. Lakers Game 2 the Game of the Year.

After watching all the exciting games from tonight’s Round 1, Bill Simmons demanded the night to go into the Round 1 Hall of Fame.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Even NFL legend Pat McAfee was going bananas after the games tonight’s matchups produced.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Tonight’s matchups delivered arguably some of the best games in Round 1 playoffs history. And the Nuggets vs. Lakers game was the perfect cherry on top of an already incredible night.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Rohan Bhaunt

1,155Articles

One take at a time

Rohan Singh Bhaunt, an NBA Writer at EssentiallySports, boasts a background as a divisional basketball player and an NBA enthusiast spanning over a decade. His extensive knowledge of the sport enables him to intricately explore its nuances, presenting a fresh outlook. Rohan's dive into the NBA newsdesk at ES commenced with witnessing LeBron James secure his inaugural championship in Miami.
Show More>

Edited by:

Jayant Chhabra