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Denver Nuggets players celebrate the team’s victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in an NBA conference semifinal basketball game on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo / Mark J. Terrill)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida— Almost everyone had LA vs. LA written for the Western Conference finals.
Then came the tough Denver Nuggets, who broke the party.
Behind Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets advanced to the conference finals for the first time since 2009. They will face LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers beginning Friday in Game 1.
But this was not just any path. The Nuggets trailed 3-1 in their first-round series against Utah before bouncing back with three straight wins. They then fell 3-1 to the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round before winning again in Game 7.
They also made history, becoming the first NBA team to rebound from a 3-1 series deficit twice in the same postseason.
Unsurprisingly, Denver is a loser against the Lakers. Murray & Co. are used to it.
“Everyone tells us. It’s fun to silence everyone, ”Murray said. “We love it.”
The last time the Nuggets were in the conference finals, they also faced the Lakers, losing in six games. That team was led by George Karl and boasted Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony. The Lakers were led by the late Kobe Bryant and would win the NBA title over Orlando.
This time around, Denver has a point guard in Murray and a center that considers himself a point guard in Jokic.
Combined, they have helped the Nuggets go 6-0 in elimination games this postseason. The pressure doesn’t bother them.
“It’s just fun, the ride,” Jokic said. “This is an interesting team. We don’t have many superstars. “
In fact, they have two rising stars in Murray and Jokic. In the Game 7 win over the Clippers, Murray scored 40 points while Jokic finished with 16 points, 13 assists and 22 rebounds.
The Nuggets are playing with great confidence, regardless of the deficit. They fell by double digits in Games 5, 6 and 7, but won again each time.
“We are not accepting that someone is better than us,” said Jokic, whose team beat San Antonio last season in Game 7 before losing to Portland in seven games. “They really need to beat us and they need to play much better than us. … When we start to play for each other and you see that the ball flows and the defense and everyone has everyone’s back, it’s a lot of fun. “
Denver certainly quieted the noise around the Clippers, who were hoping the additions of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George would lead to their first conference final, and beyond. But the LA stars fell flat.
“It hurts. It hurts. But we keep going,” George said. “Year 1 together, first race together, of course we wanted to win this. But we have been very optimistic that we are together and we will build something in the future.”
After a quick celebration on Tuesday of the victory and coach Michael Malone’s 49th birthday, the Nuggets will be ready to get back in business.
“We know what we have,” Murray said. “We are a top four team in the league and we are trying to push to be No. 1. … We have a team that we believe in each other and we know we can go out there and win.”
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