Nuggets make history, advance to the NBA Finals for first time ever

It didn’t seem like it was going to happen. The fourth and final win of a series is always the toughest. When a team is trying to advance to the first-ever NBA Finals, it’s even more difficult.

Such was the case on Monday night. Denver went into Los Angeles with a chance to sweep the Lakers, a win that would catapult the Nuggets into uncharted waters.

The first half certainly didn’t got their way. Behind 31 points from LeBron James, as well as a 17-to-6 free throw advantage, the Lakers held a 73-58 lead at intermission.

It would’ve been easy for the Nuggets to turn the page. They could’ve easily thrown up their hands, admitted defeat and saved themselves for Game 5 on Wednesday. They didn’t.

Denver was resilient. They didn’t blink.

The Nuggets outscored the Lakers 36-16 in the third quarter. A 15-point deficit was suddenly a five-point lead. But the game wasn’t over yet.

LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers wouldn’t go away. The game went down to the final seconds.

Nikola Jokic broke a 111-111 tie with a layup. And then with four seconds to play, Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray stopped James on a drive. Denver won 113-111. They’re heading to the NBA Finals.

History has been made. Here’s hoping there’s more in the near future.

***

Follow @jamesmerilatt