Denying LeBron James 40 points, Nikola Jokic and Denver Nuggets enter the NBA Finals 2023
LeBron James did everything he could, including delivering the highest scoring half and first half of his career (21 points in the first half, 31 points in the first and second half).
But in the end, the individual "king" as well as the entire Los Angeles Lakers team could not stop the Denver Nuggets, especially Nikola Jokic from reaching the first NBA Finals series in their history.
Jokic turned Game 4 into a duel with LeBron James. The Serbian used a triple-double of 30 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists to deny James 40 points, sending Denver to a 113-111 victory in Game 4.
After completing the sweep of the opponent 4-0, Nikola Jokic immediately showed respect to LeBron James, owner of 40 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists: "We didn't stop LeBron in the first half. battle. He's a great player, one of the best players ever."
But not forgetting the efforts of his teammates and himself, Joker added: "We didn't give up, which the team did not only in this match, this series but throughout the season, far away. than in the past two to three years.”
After two innings, the Los Angeles Lakers took the initiative with a 15-point advantage. They defended well the Denver Nuggets and exploded in attack thanks to the lead of LeBron James.
The third half, however, is a completely different story. Nikola Jokic and his teammates changed their approach, defending harder to force LeBron to throw hard or give the ball to the rest of the team.
Good defense, even better attack. The Nuggets pressed the Lakers down to just 16 points in the third half and scored 36 on their own, thanks to the great work of the duo Nikola Jokic - Aaron Gordon.
The last half was a time of tension between the two sides. The Denver Nuggets had Jokic's excellence with a series of difficult finishes. The Lakers were determined to pursue with many players taking turns speaking out.
Jokic's name needs to be mentioned once again as he put Denver ahead 113-111 after a superb one-on-two ball, past both Dennis Schroder and Anthony Davis.
The Los Angeles Lakers had two chances to equalize or get ahead, but both ended with LeBron James' failed shots. Game 4 ended with a score of 113-111, with neither team scoring in the final 50 seconds.
LeBron James and Nikola Jokic led both teams, offering a tense and beautiful showdown for the fans. LeBron had 40 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists and almost played the entire 48 minutes, coming off the field for exactly 7 seconds.
Jokic responded with a triple-double of 30 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists and 3 blocks. Although the FG ratio is not too high (11-24), Nikola knows how to speak at the right time and at the right time. He was voted the best player of the Western final series.
Behind "The Joker" are two names Aaron Gordon (22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) and Jamal Murray (25 points, 5 assists, 2 steals).
With the Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony Davis scored 21 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks but only 6-15 FG. Austin Reaves scored 17 points and added 3 assists.
With a 4-0 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, the Denver Nuggets got their first sweep in history. More importantly, they officially entered the first NBA Finals series after 46 years of participating in the American Professional Basketball League.
They did this thanks to Nikola Jokic's high form with 8 triple-doubles alone at the Playoffs, accompanied by the explosion of Jamal Murray (32.5 PPG in the regional final) and the pillars took turns speaking for many times. point.
Now the Denver Nuggets will wait for their opponent to be the winner of the Eastern Finals series, the series is 3-0 in favor of Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat collective.
According to the announced schedule, the final series - NBA Finals 2023 - will kick off next Thursday, June 2, Vietnam time. Denver will be the team with the home field advantage in Games 1 and 2.
