DENVER — Jamal Murray lives for these moments.
"Playoff Mal" made a breakout appearance at Ball Arena on Thursday night and brought the house down in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.
The Nuggets guard shook off a cold start (shooting 3-for-15) and caught fire (closing 8-for-9) to help lead Denver to a 108-103 win over Los Angeles and take a 2-0 series lead over the Lakers.
Murray's 37 points were by far the most of any player on the floor, including teammate Nikola Jokic, who recorded yet another playoff triple-double (23 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists).
"Tonight I had to reset completely," Murray said. "I know how change it, and I know what to adjust. I want to put together a good four quarters."
Jokic, the team's biggest asset this postseason and two-time NBA MVP said of Murray: "When it mattered the most, he made shots and won us the game basically."
Unlike their fast start in Game 1, the Nuggets struggled in the first half and trailed by as many as 11 points before rallying after halftime. But a 10-0 run near the midway point of the third quarter helped Denver change the momentum of the game.
The Lakers relied on an adjustment that entailed guarding Jokic with Rui Hachimura, who scored 21 points off the bench.
Los Angeles was led by LeBron James' team-high 22 points, while Anthony Davis struggled compared to his Game 1 performance (40 points) with just 18 points in Game 2.
The series next shifts to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4, beginning at 6:30 p.m. (MT) Saturday at Crypto.com Arena.
"We did what we were supposed to do and protected our home court," Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said. "Now we have to go to LA with a very businessman-like mindset."
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