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May 23 (UPI) -- Nikola Jokic recorded another triple-double to lead the Denver Nuggets to a narrow win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals, finishing a four-game sweep for a spot in the 2023 NBA Finals. Jokic totaled 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists in the 113-111 Game 4 victory Monday at Cypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
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"Anyone could have won it, and we just found a way to win the game," Jokic told reporters. "Especially [since] we were down 15, and to come back and win the game."
The Nuggets, who advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, will face the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics in the title series.
The Nuggets outscored the Lakers 17-7 in points off turnovers and held a 40-38 edge in rebounding. The Lakers outscored the Nuggets 62-48 in the paint. LeBron James scored 31 points in the first half, but was held to nine over the final 24 minutes.
"Me and Anthony Davis were talking in the locker room [and] I think we came to the consensus, this is one of the best teams, if not the best team, we've played together for all four years," James said of the Nuggets.
"[They are] just well orchestrated and well put together. They have scoring. They have shooting. They have play-making. They have smarts. They have length. They have depth. And one thing about their team, when you have a guy like Jokic, who as big as he is, but also as cerebral as he is, you can't really make many mistakes versus a guy like that."
Davis made a layup 44 seconds into the game for the first points of the night and the Lakers never trailed in the first half. James totaled 21 points over the first 12 minutes and the Lakers carried a 34-28 edge into the second quarter.
James scored another 10 points in that frame, when the Lakers outscored the Nuggets 39-30. The Lakers led 73-58 at halftime.
The Nuggets went on an 23-6 run early in the third to take an 83-81 lead with 4:39 remaining in the quarter. They carried a 94-89 edge into the fourth. Jokic scored 13 points in the third quarter, when the Nuggets outscored the Lakers 36-16.
The Lakers scored five unanswered to start the fourth, tying the score 94-94, but never took the lead again. The Nuggets responded with a 6-2 run to push their lead back to four.
The Lakers tied the game twice over the final 5:02. Davis first tied it at 102-102, but the Nuggets responded with an 8-2 run. The Lakers star made two free throws with 1:13 remaining to tie the score for a final time at 111-111. Jokic made a go-ahead layup on the next possession for the final points of the night.
James missed two game-winning attempts over the final 26 seconds. The Lakers star made just 1 of 6 shots over the final 12 minutes, but totaled 40 points in the loss.
Davis totaled 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers. Lakers guard Austin Reaves totaled 17 points. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray scored 25 points in the victory. Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon logged 22 points, six rebounds and five assists. Michael Porter Jr. totaled 15 points and 10 rebounds in the victory.
The top-seeded Nuggets will meet the No. 2 Celtics or No. 8 Heat in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 1 in Denver. The Heat, who hold a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals, will host the Celtics in Game 4 at 8:30 p.m. EDT Tuesday in Miami.
