Jamal Murray scored 32 points despite a strained calf and sank the game-winner with 3.6 seconds left as the defending NBA champions Denver Nuggets bounced LeBron James from the playoffs again with a 108-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
James' two free throws tied it at 106 with 26 seconds left and the Nuggets, just as they did earlier in the series, eschewed the timeout and Murray took the ball on a high screen and roll to his left, shaking Austin Reaves and he crossed through the lane and swished the 14-footer.
It was Murray's buzzer beater that also won the second game for the Nuggets, which came after he dunked on James in an epic moment.
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“This one was a little better,” Murray said as confetti swirled around him.
Nikola Jokic, who committed an uncharacteristic seven turnovers, narrowly missed his 19th career playoff triple-double with 25 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists and Michael Porter Jr. scored 26.
James had 30 points and 11 assists on Tuesday (AEST), while teammate Anthony Davis had 17 points and 15 rebounds but appeared bothered down the stretch with injury.
Denver advanced to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round starting next weekend. That series starts in Denver, where the Nuggets are a Western Conference-best 36-8, including 3-0 in the playoffs.
The Nuggets, who swept the Lakers in the Western Conference finals last summer on their way to winning the franchise's first NBA championship, beat the Lakers for the 12th time in their last 13 games.
The only other time James was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs came in 2021 when the Phoenix Suns beat L.A. in six games.
This was the shortest of James' 17 trips to the playoffs, where he's now 183-104 overall with a 41-13 series record and four titles.
This will mark the first time since 2005 that James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant won't feature in the second round of the postseason.
When quizzed on his future at the franchise, the 39-year-old refused to answer.
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The Lakers led 53-50 at halftime and pushed that advantage to nine points, but the Nuggets closed on a 21-10 run to take an 81-79 lead into the fourth quarter.
After Murray's clutch shot, Taurean Prince heaved up a half-courter that fell short, sending the Lakers to an early exit despite taking the defending champs to the brink in all five games.
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