On Monday night, Lebron James and the Lakers didn't make things simple for the Nuggets.
Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals was a back-and-forth contest that saw a fighting James, a dogged Lakers squad that wasn't prepared to give up, and a Nuggets club answer the call to history.
James scored a personal best in the first half with 31 points, giving LA a 73-58 lead at the break. It wasn't until late in the third quarter that the Nuggets took their first lead.
But in the end, the Joker triumphed against the King as star Nikola Joki guided the Nuggets to their first NBA Finals berth in 47 seasons with a 113-111 victory.
With his 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists, Jokic recorded a triple-double. Jamal Murray, the series' best scorer, scored 25 points for the top-seeded Nuggets.
Even the greatest scorer in NBA history, James, who had the best postseason half of his career, couldn't stop the deep, spirited Nuggets from winning their sixth game overall in a row. James finished with 40 points.