VERY EXPRESSIVE: Nuggets beat the Lakers the night LeBron James became the first player to reach 40,000 points… See more…
A big reason the Nuggets moved on to Round 2 was because of the adjustments head coach Michael Malone was able to make at halftime.
The Nuggets trailed for a large chunk of time in this series. Still, Denver’s killer instincts showed in the second half on multiple occasions, mainly due to Malone and company taking advantage of the Lakers being unable to play a full 48 minutes.
Malone deserves to be recognized as one of the top coaches in the NBA, and he thoroughly showed that against Darvin Ham.
Players get labeled clutch a lot and are often undeserving of the label. Jamal Murray proved in Round 1 against the Lakers that he deserves to be referenced as a clutch player.
In this series, Murray nailed two game-winning shots to kill the Lakers’ hopes. The first came in Game 2, followed by a series-clinching dagger in Game 5. Despite entering Game 5 with a calf injury, Murray put together his best showing of the series.
Much like he did during the Nuggets championship run in 2023, Murray demonstrated why he can take his game to another level in the postseason.
Michael Porter Jr. was one player under the radar entering this series. The sharp-shooting forward came to play against the Lakers, scoring 20 or more points in four of the five matchups. Porter Jr. is by no means a fully grown talent in the NBA, and he showcased in Round 1 against the Lakers that he has another level to offer the Nuggets at both ends of the court. If the Nuggets hope to repeat, they’ll need Porter Jr. to continue elevating his game as the series gets tougher.
