LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers crashed out of the NBA playoffs on Monday after defending champions Denver snatched a 108-106 victory to complete a 4-1 series triumph.
Jamal Murray scored 32 points, including a decisive go-ahead jump shot with four seconds remaining, to send Denver into a Western Conference semi-final against Minnesota.
The Lakers, bidding to become the first team in NBA playoff history to overturn a 3-0 series deficit, had looked poised to force a game six back in Los Angeles after a gutsy display saw them edge nine points clear in the third quarter.
But Denver showed their superb championship pedigree once again down the stretch and it was Murray who applied the coup de grace in a frantic finale, coolly running down the clock before draining the winning basket.
NBA icon James meanwhile finished with 30 points to lead the Lakers’ scoring with 11 assists and nine rebounds.
Lakers defensive stalwart Anthony Davis, who appeared troubled by a shoulder injury for much of the game, had 17 points with 15 rebounds and four assists.
But the Lakers were ultimately undone by Denver’s greater offensive potency and defensive strength.
Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic backed up Murray with 25 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists, while Michael Porter Jr. had 26 points including five three-pointers.
The normally accurate Lakers were also left to rue nine missed free throws, including four in the fourth quarter, that proved costly.
“It’s one of those games man, they’re a hell of a team,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said after the defeat.
“They’re defending champs for a reason, I’ve been saying it the entire year, and the entire series, they know how to gut out wins, they’ve been there before.
“But I couldn’t be prouder of our group. Our guys showed a lot of guts, a lot of character and resilience to continue to fight.
“But you know, the intangibles, they got us again. We missed some free throws and gave up some second-chance points late. It is what it is. You just got to learn from it and grow and come back better mentally, spiritually and physically.”
Thunder roll, Celtics on brink
Elsewhere Monday, the Oklahoma City Thunder sealed a 4-0 series sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans to book their place in the NBA playoffs second round.
Western Conference top seeds Oklahoma City finally got the better of New Orleans with a late scoring burst in the fourth quarter to complete a 97-89 road victory in Louisiana.
The Pelicans led by five points with just over eight minutes remaining before Oklahoma City responded with an 18-2 run to close out victory in a hard-fought contest that saw the lead change hands 19 times.
Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder scoring with 24 points apiece while Chet Holmgren and Josh Giddey each scored 14 and Luguentz Dort 11.
It was the Thunder’s first playoff series win since 2016 and leaves them facing a Western Conference semi-final against either the Los Angeles Clippers or Dallas Mavericks.
“This was probably our hardest game,” Williams said afterwards. “We weren’t hitting shots but I think defensively we locked in down the stretch.
“We’re all together through thick and thin, through the ups and downs of the season. We’ve hung in there together and now you see the result.”
Elsewhere on Monday, Derrick White scored 38 points as the top-seeded Boston Celtics dominated Miami 102-88 on the road to take a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven series.
After a 20-point win over Miami in game three Saturday, Boston picked up where they left off with another emphatic performance over last season’s Eastern Conference champions.
White set the tone for Boston with an electric first-quarter display, rattling in 16 points in the opening frame -- including four three-pointers -- to help the Celtics take a 10-point lead heading into the second quarter.
Boston kept up the pressure to open up a 53-36 half-time advantage.
The Celtics stretched the lead to 28 points at one stage in the third quarter, and even though Miami rallied in the fourth, narrowing the deficit to 13 points with just over five minutes remaining, Boston’s grip on the lead never looked in serious jeopardy.
The win means the Celtics can clinch their place in the second round, where they will face either Orlando or Cleveland, with a victory in game five Wednesday back in Boston.
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