DENVER — Jamal Murray hit a 15-foot step-back jumper at the buzzer and the Denver Nuggets erased a 20-point second-half deficit to stun the Los Angeles Lakers 101-99 Monday night and take a 2-0 lead. their Western Conference playoff series.
Murray’s falling game-winner gave the Nuggets their first lead since 5-3 in the opening minutes and gave the defending NBA champions their 10th straight victory over the Lakers. It was the third game-winning buzzer-beater in a 20-point comeback in the last 25 NBA playoffs.
The series moves to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Thursday night.
Murray’s game-winning shot came after LeBron James missed his long-range shot with 16 seconds left and the game tied at 99.
Michael Porter Jr. grabbed the rebound with 13 seconds left and the Nuggets did not call a timeout.
Instead, Murray took the ball on the right side with Anthony Davis guarding him, stepped back and kicked the basket just as the buzzer sounded. Murray and Davis fell to the Nuggets bench as the roar of the sold-out crowd rocked Ball Arena.
Murray finished with 20 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, and Nikola Jokic had a triple-double with 27 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists. Porter added 22 points and Aaron Gordon 14 for Denver.
Davis led the Lakers with 32 points, James had 26 and D’Angelo Russell added 23 with a career-high seven 3s in the playoffs.
The Lakers led 59-44 at halftime and extended their advantage to 68-48 two minutes into the second half, and it looked like Los Angeles was going to beat Denver for the first time in 494 days. He still led by 10 at the start of the fourth quarter.
“I don’t have a 20-point game,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “You just have to keep snacking.”
They did, eventually tying it at 95 on Porter’s 3-pointer with 1:15 left.
Russell’s biggest basket was his layup that gave Los Angeles a 97-95 lead with a minute remaining. Murray was fouled by James and sank both free throws to tie it again.
James responded with a layup for LA with 48 seconds left, but Murray tied it again with a step-back jumper with 30 seconds left. Then James missed from far away, Porter grabbed the rebound and the Nuggets were on their way to one of the biggest shots in franchise history.
Murray, who started 3 of 16, made 6 of 8 in the fourth quarter.
Russell made three 3s in the opening minutes, matching the number of 3-pointers he had in the Lakers’ last five playoff games against Denver. He made just one of his nine 3s in the series opener after going 2 for 15 in last summer’s Western Conference Finals, earning him on the bench during the fourth game. He finished 7 of 11.
ESPN Stats & Information and the Associated Press contributed to this report.