DENVER — Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray was in the middle of a horrible offensive game. Midway through the third quarter, he was 3-for-15 shooting and a careless turnover led to a LeBron James dunk and an 11-point Los Angeles Lakers lead.
Murray went from can’t shoot to can’t miss.
He made seven consecutive shots after the poor start and finished with a game-high 37 points as the Nuggets defeated the Lakers 108-103 in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals Thursday.
Denver remained unbeaten at home in the playoffs and did what it needed to do: retained home-court advantage through the first two games against the Lakers.
The series shifts to Los Angeles for the next two games. Game 3 is Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET).
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The Nuggets didn’t have the same offensive outburst they had in Game 1 but managed to overcome foul trouble and Murray’s start.
Murray instigated a 30-10 Nuggets run in the second half that had the Lakers looking tired. Nuggets two-time MVP Nikola Jokic assembled another triple double, registering 23 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists, and Michael Porter Jr. played through foul trouble to finish with 16 points and seven rebounds.
The Lakers had average performances from James and Anthony Davis — not good enough against the No. 1 seed in the West. James, who missed several shots at the rim he normally makes, had 22 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, and Davis scored 18 points but was just 4-for-15 from the field. Rui Hachimura added 21 points off the bench for Los Angeles.
