Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Nuggets eliminate Lakers in Game 5

Originally posted on The Predictors | By Miles Jordan | Last updated 4/30/24

The Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 108-106 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Playoffs, eliminating Lebron James and the Lakers from the postseason and completing a 4-1 series victory.

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic continues to amaze viewers, as he recorded a 25-point, 20-rebound double-double and dished out nine assists, just one short of a triple-double. Guard Jamal Murray led the Nuggets in scoring, racking up 32 points on five made three-pointers, and recorded seven assists to help the Denver defeat Los Angeles. The final piece of the puzzle for Denver in Game 5 was Micheal Porter Jr., who scored 26 points to contribute to the Nugget's big three to combine for 83 of Denver's 108 points.

This trio showed out tonight

Jamal: 32 PTS / 3 REB / 7 AST / 1 STL
MPJ: 26 PTS / 4 REB / 1 AST / 2 STL
Jok: 25 PTS / 20 REB / 9 AST pic.twitter.com/2GS6TxMqsa
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 30, 2024

As expected, Lakers forward Lebron James led Los Angeles in scoring (30) and assists (11), recording a double-double, along with center Anthony Davis, who scored 17 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. All five of the Lakers starters scored 14+ points; however, their bench only combined for 11 points, which ended up being the game-changer since James was the only Lakers player to score 20+ points.

In this 21st season, James put up remarkable numbers: 25.7 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 54% from the field and 41% from three-point range. Many wonder what Lebron’s future will look like, especially since his first-born son, Bronny James, has declared for the NBA draft.

With the Nuggets' victory, they will advance to the Western Conference Semi-Finals to play the red-hot Minnesota Timberwolves and Anthony Edwards, fresh off their four-game sweep over the Phoneix Suns. Game 1 of the Western Conference Semi-Final is scheduled in Denver on Saturday, May 4.