LeBron James did everything he could to prevent Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets from making their first-ever NBA Finals, including recording the most points in a playoff half in his illustrious career.
James put on an outstanding throwback performance, scoring 31 points in the first half before finishing with 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists.
Jokic, who was awarded the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP, held off James.
James could only watch as Murray screamed in joy and was surrounded by the Denver bench when time ran out. The NBA Finals have been a long time coming for the Nuggets.
Denver needed 46 seasons to get to this stage, which is the most seasons in NBA history before a Finals trip. Denver had the most playoff victories (93) without making the Finals in history as of Monday night.
But the Nuggets are concentrating on securing four more victories. An NBA championship is closer than ever given how Murray and Jokic are performing as arguably the most formidable team in the league.