Nuggets Advance to NBA Finals for the First Time After Sweeping Lakers in Game 4

Nuggets Advance to NBA Finals for the First Time After Sweeping Lakers in Game 4

Joel Reyes
updated at May 23, 2023 at 7:30 AM
  • The Denver Nuggets eliminated the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night
  • Nikola Jokic starred for the Nuggets’ in Game 4 vs Lebron and the Lakers
  • The Serbian star recorded another triple-double in the series clincher

The Denver Nuggets are moving on to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

The Nuggets accomplished the feat on Monday night, recording a thrilling 113-111 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.

Nikola Jokic powered the Nuggets, who completed an unexpected four-game sweep.

Nikola Jokic, LeBron James, Jamal Murray, Anthony Davis, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, NBA Playoffs
Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets receives the Most Valuable Player trophy from head coach Michael Malone following the series-clinching victory against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. Image: Allen Berezovsky
Source: Getty Images

The Serbian big man registered another triple-double in the series clincher, finishing with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists, per ESPN.

Jokic breaks Wilt's NBA record

It was a historic performance by Jokic, who broke Wilt Chamberlain’s NBA record for triple-doubles in a single postseason he set in 1967.

The Serbian delivered when his team needed him most, scoring five of the Nuggets’ last six points to seal the win. He made the biggest basket of the night, scoring the game-winning driving layup with 51.1 seconds left.

The Lakers had multiple opportunities to send the game into overtime, but LeBron James missed a couple of tying shots in the final seconds of regulation.

The Nuggets will be delighted to finish the Lakers in four games as they earned several days off before the Finals, which start on June 1.

Lakers' season ends in disappointment

It was the first time that Denver had recorded a sweep in a playoff series. What made this feat so incredible is that the Nuggets did it against the Lakers, who have beaten them in their previous seven playoff meetings.

It was a disappointing end to the season for Los Angeles, who simply had no answer for Denver’s depth.

LeBron tried his hardest to help the Lakers avoid the sweep, scoring 40 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and dishing out nine assists in Game 4, per Yahoo! Sports.

He scored 31 of his 40 points in the first half, helping the Lakers establish a 73-58 advantage at the break. The wheels fell off for LA in the third quarter, with the Nuggets outscoring them 36-16.

Miami takes 3-0 lead

Sports Brief recently reported on the Heat's win over the Celtics in Game 3.

Gabe Vincent played the game of his life, scoring a career-high 29 points.

Duncan Robinson also contributed, dropping 22 points off the bench.

Authors
Joel Reyes photo
Joel Reyes
Joel Reyes is a sports editor at Sportsbrief.com with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of the Philippines. He has eight years of work experience in sports writing.