SUMMARY
- Jamal Murray had a multiple highlights during the fourth quarter including a poster dunk on LeBron James.
- He nailed the game-winner for the second time this series and sent the LA Lakers home.
Jamal Murray has had impressive playoff performances in the past, but the Denver Nuggets vs LA Lakers series this year was the pinnacle of his run. After going 3-0, the Lakers came back with an impactful win, and considering how LeBron James overcame a 3-1 deficit, the possibility of overcoming this one existed. The game came down to the wire with multiple lead exchanges during the final minutes of the game.
However, the 2023 ESPYs Comeback Player of the Year became the star of the fourth quarter. Halfway through the quarter, he had an impressive dunk over LeBron. After the posterizer, Murray mocked the 4x NBA Champion with the same shoulder shrug he tends to do after dunking on the opposition. Jamal made a smart move by taking control of the final possession and allowing the game clock to run down to 3 seconds before attempting the game-winning jumper.
Fans troll LeBron James for getting dunked on by Jamal Murray
The Lakers had no option but to let Jamal Murray execute his play. Fouling him would have allowed two free throw attempts, which he could have missed on purpose to acquire a rebound and the final possession to possibly extend the lead further. Fans mocked LeBron on social media saying, “Murray trolling lefraud!!!! Hahahah add that to another NBA player that disrespects this fraud!” Another fan commented, “LeBron did that shoulder shrug when he got an and 1 earlier in the game lol.”
Murray trolling lefraud!!!! Hahahah add that to another NBA player that disrespects this fraud!
— Lebron will never be top 11. Egotistical P.O.S (@lefraud_exposed) April 30, 2024
LeBron did that shoulder shrug when he got an and 1 earlier in the game lol.
— Softest Queen Ever (@softqueenlbj) April 30, 2024
But the dunk cannot disregard what James did for the team during the second half of the game. The King finished with 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists along with 4 steals. Impressively, James only recorded one turnover in the entire game. Anthony Davis also tried his best despite a shoulder injury he faced in the third quarter. He recorded 17 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks.
Jamal Murray’s game-winner was impressive and historic
This was the second time in the series that Jamal Murray took the final second shot for the win. He did in Game 2 to help the Nuggets get a 2-0 lead and now in Game 5 to advance into the second round. After the game, he said, “This one is a little better [than the Game 2 buzzer-beater]. I’m speechless. It’s a dream come true. You know, all these fans on your side, and to get it done in this fashion, I don’t know what to say. I’m just happy for us.”
Murray scored a game-high 32 points despite being questionable due to a calf strain ahead of the game. Nikola Jokic had 25 points, 20 rebounds, and 9 assists during the game while Michael Porter Jr. put up 26 points.
Jamal Murray is the only player in NBA history to have two game-winners in a playoff series. Denver became the third team in the Western Conference to move into the second round. They will face the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are fresh off a sweep against the Phoenix Suns.