LeBron James may have had the best first half of his life in the playoffs, but his Los Angeles Lakers were defeated 113-111 by the Denver Nuggets, who advanced to the NBA Finals.
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On Monday night, all Lakers fans in the City of Angels were eager for their seats and hoping their favorites would extend their 2022-2023 season. “King James” took matters into his own hands, scoring 31 points in the first 24 minutes of the game, a personal best.
The 38-year veteran finished his career with 40 points, setting a career plateau of 8,000 playoff points. That’s over 2,000 points more than second-place finisher Michael Jordan.
The Nuggets kept their cool even as they returned to the dressing room 73-58 down. Denver scored 36 points in the third quarter while the Lakers limited to 16 points. Nikola Jokic notched a triple-double there with 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists.
For the first time in franchise history, the Nuggets make it to the finals. They are now awaiting the outcome of the Eastern Conference game between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics.