The fans who came to the Ball Arena to watch the second game of the duel between the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers witnessed a moment of heroism. A basket by Jamal Murray in the last tenth gave the Colorado team - who lost at the end of the second quarter by 20 points - the victory against the Californians by 101-99. The franchise adds its second win in a series that it leads 2-0.
WHAT A BUCKET. THIS IS JAMAL MURRAY EVERYONE. 🏹 pic.twitter.com/xfihf0lXAe
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 23, 2024
Murray's heroics did not mean he was the best player of the game, despite scoring 20 points, that the Nuggets took advantage of to certify their victory. The star of the second game was, as usual, Nikola Jokic. The regular season MVP candidate sealed a triple-double (27 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists) so that the franchise he leads went to the third game with a 2-0 lead in the series. Remarkable also were the numbers that Michael Porter Jr. put up on the hardwood (22 points and 9 rebounds).
Until the end of the first half, the Lakers were clearly dominating the game, going into the locker room with a 20-point lead. Until the Nuggets decided not to lose the home court factor and go for it. On the Los Angeles side, the double-doubles scored by LeBron James (26 points and 12 assists) and Anthony Davis (32 points and 11 rebounds) were the most notable, in addition to D'Angelo Russell's 23 points.
Knicks 104-101 76ers
A similar madness to the one at Ball Arena also happened at Madison Square Garden. The New York Knicks, who trailed by five points with 30 seconds remaining in the game, went for the epic and managed to come back against the Philadelphia 76ers, leaving a final score of 104-101. Like the Nuggets, the New York franchise dominates the series 2-0 before the tie moves to Pennsylvania.
Jalen Brunson, who did not have the best of his nights, was the main protagonist of the comeback. The Knicks star had 24 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in his personal account. The medal for best player of the game went to Josh Hart, posting a double-double (21 points and 15 rebounds).
FIGHT TILL THE FINISH 😤
Brunson 24 PTS | 8 REB | 6 AST
Hart 21 PTS | 15 REB
Donte 19 PTS | 2 STL
Hartenstein 14 PTS | 8 REB | 3 BLK
OG 10 PTS | 1 BLK pic.twitter.com/wfSToROySU— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 23, 2024
The impressive performances by Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid were insufficient for the 76ers. Each of them recorded a double-double (35 points and 10 assists and 34 points and 10 rebounds, respectively).
Cavaliers 96-86 Magic
The day began with the second duel between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic. And, as happened in the first confrontation, the victory fell to the local side. Second win for the Ohio franchise (96-86) as they were ahead on the scoreboard throughout the game. Good first half for the men led by JB Bickerstaff who lead the series 2-0.
Jarrett Allen and Donovan Mitchell neutralized their rivals and led the Cavs. The center, who had a double-double (16 points and 20 rebounds), was a nightmare for the Florida defense in the paint. For his part, the star of the franchise scored 23 points. Also notable were the scoring contributions of Darius Garland (15 points) and Evan Mobley (17 points). On the part of the Magic, we must give mention to the 21 points of Paolo Banchero and the 18 points of Franz Wagner.
THRILLING night as the Knicks, Cavs and Nuggets go up 2-0!
The #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel continues Tuesday on TNT & NBA TV. pic.twitter.com/wwaKhipsnK
— NBA (@NBA) April 23, 2024
