In the Western Conference Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers lost a difficult Game 2 to the Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers appeared to be in charge for the majority of the game, but the Nuggets took the lead early in the fourth quarter after a huge flurry for them.
Like in Game 1, the Lakers didn't give up and found their own run to keep it tight late. But in the end, the Nuggets pulled away, largely because to a strong showing by Jamal Murray.
The Lakers are already down 2-0 as both teams go to Los Angeles for Game 3. The Lakers are facing adversity for the first time in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, and they will need to act quickly to recover.
The Lakers appeared poised to tie the series for much of Game 2. LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the team's two stars, didn't play that well, struggling from the floor and making costly errors late.
Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura were the top Lakers performers of the evening; Reaves scored 22 points on 50% shooting, and Hachimura scored 21 points off the bench while shooting 8/10 from the field.
Murray scored 37 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome Nikola Jokic's second straight triple-double.