Los Angeles, Ca
Jamal Murray sinks shot at buzzer to cap 20-point comeback and lead Nuggets past Lakers 101-99
DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray didn’t even see the biggest basket of his career. At least not live, he didn’t.
Murray swished a step-back 15-footer over Anthony Davis at the buzzer Monday night, giving the Denver Nuggets a stunning 101-99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers and capping a comeback from a 20-point second-half deficit.
Murray tumbled into the Nuggets’ bench along with Davis just as his shot fluttered the net and the roar from the crowd shook Ball Arena.
“I just lost my balance and fell. I think A.D. was in my way or somebody was in my way and I just heard everybody scream and that’s how I knew it went in,” said Murray, who was mobbed by his teammates after his bucket gave the reigning NBA champions their 10th consecutive win over the Lakers.
More importantly, it gave Denver a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference series that shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 Thursday night.
Murray missed 13 of his first 16 shots and was easily the most flustered, frazzled and frustrated of all his teammates when it appeared the Nuggets would lose to the Lakers for the first time in 494 days.
“I told my teammates when I was struggling, ‘I’m gonna look for y’all,’ and every single one of them told me to keep shooting,” recounted Murray, who did just in going 6-for-8 for 14 points in the fourth quarter to finish with 20 points.
“They told me to stay aggressive and keep looking for it, keep hunting and when I had the ball with 2 seconds left, I knew once I had made a couple, the next one should go down, as well.”
Nuggets coach Michael Malone chose not to call a timeout after Michael Porter Jr. grabbed the rebound off LeBron James’ missed 3-pointer with 13 seconds left and the game knotted up at 99.
“We got the stop. Tie game. Why let them get set?” Malone reasoned. “Because, when they can get set and they switch out everything, you might not even get the ball inbounds. So, I wanted to make sure we could just flow into it and let our best players make plays.”
Murray faked like he was going to take a 3-pointer, got A.D. to close and then beat him to his spot along the right baseline for the clear look.
“That’s Jamal Murray right there,” Malone said. “He can struggle, he can struggle, he can struggle. He sees one go in and he’s never shying away from the moment, the spotlight. And that was just an incredible play.”
Nikola Jokic said Murray “made the tough shots today and he missed the easy ones. It was that kind of game.”
Asked to go though that final sequence, Davis demurred, saying simply, “Jamal Murray made a shot,” then standing up, dropping the mic — and not figuratively — and walking off from the postgame podium.
Jokic posted a triple-double with 27 points, 20 boards and 10 assists. Porter added 22 points and Aaron Gordon 14 for Denver.
Davis led the Lakers with 32 points, James had 26 and D’Angelo Russell added 23 with a career playoff-high seven 3s, including six in the first half to help the Lakers build a 59-44 lead at the break.
The Lakers stretched their advantage to 68-48 two minutes into the second half and they still led by 10 entering the fourth quarter.
“I don’t have a 20-point play,” Malone said. “You’ve got to just keep chipping away.”
That, they did, finally tying it at 95-all on Porter’s 3-pointer with 1:15 left before the frenzied final minute.
“A 20-point lead in this league, it’s not safe, especially against the defending champion,” James said. “We’ve got to do better. But we had our chances.”
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Southern California remains under an extreme heat warning as residents brace for the hottest day of the week on Wednesday.
“It will be roasty toasty in the valleys, lower mountain elevations and far interior, with highs ranging from 100 to 110 degrees,” the National Weather Service said. The warmest conditions are expected in the western San Fernando Valley.
An extreme heat warning remains in effect for much of Southern California until 8 p.m. Thursday. Forecasters say there is a high risk of heat-related illness for anyone outdoors for extended periods. Heat advisories are also in place for areas along the coast.
“Highs for today: 98 in Ojai, 100 in Ontario. Temecula, good morning to you, 100 degrees expected there. 112 in Palm Springs. Unbelievably hot,” KTLA’s Kirk Hawkins said Wednesday morning.
Residents are urged to adjust their afternoon plans to limit strenuous outdoor activities during the heat of the day, stay hydrated and check in on elderly neighbors and loved ones.
The Weather Service said record highs are slightly warmer than those forecast for Wednesday. As a result, despite the extremely hot conditions, few, if any, temperature records are expected to be broken.
A few degrees of cooling are expected Thursday, but a more significant cooldown will arrive Friday as onshore winds increase.
Afternoon highs are expected to cool even more over the weekend, with below-average temperatures possible in some areas.
A Chino Hills man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a violent incident at a local liquor store, authorities announced Tuesday.
The July 13 incident occurred around 5 p.m. in the 4000 block of Descanso Avenue, according to the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, which responded to reports of a stabbing at the location.
Arriving deputies found a stabbing victim inside the store and rendered medical aid until personnel with the Chino Valley Fire District arrived. The victim was transported to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, where he remains in stable condition.
While being treated at the scene, investigators said the victim repeatedly stated that someone named Alex was responsible for the attack.
The suspect, now identified as Hayden Alexander Marquez, 30, was located not far from the liquor store and taken into custody, sheriff’s officials said.
Investigators did not provide a motive for the stabbing or detail the relationship between the two men.
Marquez was booked into the West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of attempted murder.
Anyone with information about the investigation is urged to contact the Chino Hills Police Station at 909-364-2000. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the We-Tip hotline at 800-78-CRIME or submit tips online at www.wetip.com.
An early morning crash involving a big rig scattered cinder blocks across the northbound 101 Freeway, prompting a SigAlert in the San Fernando Valley Tuesday. The incident was reported around 4:10 a.m. when a big rig overturned on the freeway at Tampa Avenue. The crash occurred on a stretch of the northbound 101 that curves […]
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