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May 17 (UPI) -- Nikola Jokic etched a 34-point triple-double into the stat sheet and the Denver Nuggets held off a late Los Angeles Lakers rally to take a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference finals. Jokic made 12 of 17 shots and totaled 21 rebounds and 14 assists in the 132-126 Game 1 victory Tuesday in Denver.
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Lakers center Anthony Davis scored a game-high 40 points. Star forward LeBron James nearly logged a triple-double in the loss, with 26 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.
"It's the playoffs," Jokic told reporters. "We need to be aggressive, especially in front of our home crowd and especially since they won two Game 1s."
The top-seeded Nuggets outscored the No. 7 Lakers 50-48 in the paint, 19-13 off fast breaks, held a 47-30 edge in rebounds and led by as many as 23 points. The Lakers cut the deficit to three several times in the final four minutes, but could not complete their rally.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven game series will be Thursday in Denver.
"It took us a half to get into the game," James said. "That was pretty much the ball game right there. We gotta understand we have to start from the tip off. They punched us in the mouth to start. ... I know the game is won in 48 minutes, but they set the tone in 24 minutes. We were playing catch up for the next 24."
James made a layup 24 seconds into the game for a 2-0 edge, but the Lakers never led again. The Nuggets answered with an 11-3 run. They later added an 8-0 splurge and carried a 37-25 edge into the second quarter.
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray and Jokic scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, over the next 12 minutes. The Nuggets led 72-54 at halftime. The Lakers outscored the Nuggets 38-34 in the third quarter, but still trailed 106-92 to start the fourth.
The Lakers used a 14-3 run to cut the deficit to 124-121 with 3:23 remaining, but Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon responded with a made free throw and a dunk. Lakers guard Austin Reaves answered with a 3-pointer on the next possession, cutting the lead to three for a second time, but Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored with a layup less than 30 seconds later to push the lead back to five.
James cut the lead to three points once more when he made two free throws with 72 seconds remaining. Caldwell-Pope missed a 3-pointer on the next possession. James then missed a game-tying shot from downtown with 45 seconds remaining. Jokic followed with three made free throws to ice the victory.
Jokic totaled 19 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists in the first half of Game 1. Davis totaled 22 points and eight rebounds over the final 24 minutes.
Murray scored 31 points for the Nuggets. Caldwell-Pope chipped in 21 points in the victory. Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. logged 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Reaves totaled 23 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers. Lakers forward Rui Hachimura scored 17 off the bench.
Game 2 will tip off at 8:30 p.m. EDT Thursday at Ball Arena. The winner of the series will meet the No. 8 Miami Heat or No. 2 Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Game 1 of that Eastern Conference finals series is Wednesday in Boston.
