Jamal Murray emerged as the hero on Monday evening.

In a crucial moment, Murray executed a remarkable fadeaway buzzer-beater over Anthony Davis, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 101-99 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of their opening-round playoff series. With the game tied and time running out, Murray initiated a drive towards Anthony Davis before executing a step-back move and releasing the shot.

As the ball swished through the net over the outstretched arm of the Lakers’ big man, Murray tumbled into the Nuggets’ bench, igniting a jubilant celebration at Ball Arena in Denver.

“I had the ball with a few seconds left, and I knew once I made a couple the next one should go down as well … I just beat him to the spot, beat him to my spot, elevated, went through my shot and I’m thankful enough that was one of the few that went down for me,” Murray said on TNT.

On Monday night, Murray contributed 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, a crucial performance that fueled a remarkable 20-point comeback in the latter half of the game. With this victory, the defending champions have secured a 2-0 series lead over the Lakers as the competition shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Thursday night.

Remarkably, the Nuggets have now extended their winning streak against the Lakers to 10 consecutive games.

Davis and the Lakers were in a prime position to level the series during Monday night’s game. Davis showcased his dominance particularly in the first half, leaving Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets seemingly powerless to halt his momentum. With an impressive 24 points and an almost flawless 11-of-12 shooting from the field in the initial two quarters, Davis spearheaded the Lakers’ substantial 21-7 run, concluding the second quarter with a commanding 15-point advantage. D’Angelo Russell also contributed significantly with 18 points, notably sinking 6-of-7 three-pointers in the first half.

The Lakers swiftly extended their lead by 20 points with a brisk 9-4 run at the start of the second half. However, their lead began to dwindle as the Nuggets gradually narrowed the gap, reducing it to single digits by the end of the third quarter, spurred by Jokić’s resurgence. Entering the final period, the Nuggets managed to trim the deficit to just 10 points and subsequently closed in to within a single possession midway through the fourth quarter by effectively stifling the Lakers’ offense. Until LeBron James sank a pair of deep 3-pointers, the Lakers struggled to convert a single field goal in the final period.

When the Nuggets closed the gap to just one point following a crucial and-one play by Jokić in the closing minutes, LeBron James crucially intercepted a pass and capitalized with a fast break dunk, preserving the Lakers’ narrow three-point lead. However, the Nuggets promptly countered, with Michael Porter Jr. sinking a contested 3-pointer to tie the game with only 75 seconds remaining.

That led to the final sequence, where Murray sealed the two-point win.

Davis finished with 32 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 14-of-19 from the field in the loss for the Lakers. James finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, and Russell added 23 points.