Nuggets' Jamal Murray buries Lakers with 23-point 4th in Game 2 - ESPN

DENVER — Jamal Murray took a handoff from Nikola Jokic on the left wing and drilled his fourth 3-pointer of the fourth quarter over LeBron James.

«Bang!» Murray yelled out, a nod to ESPN play-by-play man Mike Breen's trademark call, while pointing at the ESPN broadcast table on his way back down the court.

After missing 12 of 17 shots and scoring just 14 points through the first three quarters, Murray gave the Los Angeles Lakers a taste of «Playoff Murray» in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals at Ball Arena. Murray exploded for 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter to help the Denver Nuggets win 108-103 to push the Lakers down to a 2-0 series deficit.

Murray — who also had 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals — said he grew up dreaming of clutch fourth-quarter playoff performances like this. It was his fourth 20-plus-point fourth quarter in the playoffs, the most since the play-by-play era began in the 1997-98 season and two more than Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson, who are tied for second, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information.

«When I was little, I used to count down the seconds off the shot clock and make the shot and talk like Marv Albert and Mike Breen,» Murray said after the game. «Just the imagination running as a kid. When you get in that moment and you see your fam in the crowd, see your little brother, see Mike Breen there, all these little reminders, they all pay dividends and make that moment a little more special. Just kind of lock you back in.»

He added: «Playing in the Western Conference finals against the Lakers and LeBron James. It's an amazing opportunity, and it's something you're going to look back in history and remember for the rest of your life.»

The Nuggets also got a fourth