The Los Angeles Lakers’ Cinderella run during the 2023 Playoffs came to a disappointing end when they were swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.
Coming into the series, all eyes were on two-time MVP Nikola Jokic although it was Jamal Murray who the Lakers had no answers for. Murray averaged over 30 points against Los Angeles in the Western Conference Finals, draining numerous tough jumpers over defenders that the coaching staff and players simply couldn’t do anything about.
Closing out a team led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis is no easy task and James himself couldn’t help but tip his cap to the Nuggets as he called them the best team he’s faced since coming to Los Angeles.
In fact, Murray’s hot shooting stretch during the playoffs has earned him some comparisons to Kobe Bryant, which he agreed with via ClutchPoints:
“I agree,” Murray said. “I think we both have the same confidence and we both have the same belief in our work. The work that he puts in, he doesn’t doubt it. He doesn’t go into the game feeling scared about what he’s got. That’s the same as me. I put so much work in my game that I should be confident when I step on the court. I think we carry the same kind of attributes.”
Lakers fans might balk at Murray saying he and Bryant are similar but it’s hard to blame him for thinking that considering what he did to end L.A.’s season. Like Bryant, Murray seemed to relish taking over in the crunch time and was a one-man wrecking crew when he got it going from the perimeter.
The Nuggets shooting guard, like Bryant, also had to overcome a devastating injury to get back to form but so far he looks exactly like the star he was. Thanks to Murray, Denver is in their first NBA Finals and should be considered the favorites to take home their first championship.
Rob Pelinka calls 2022-23 season a season of advancement for Lakers
For the purple and gold, every season that doesn’t end in a championship is generally considered a failure but that shouldn’t be the case this year. The Lakers looked like they were going to miss the postseason for a second consecutive season, so to even put themselves in a position to capture another championship should be a success.
Rob Pelinka acknowledged that Los Angeles fell short of its ultimate goal to hang banner No. 18 but still called the season a success due to the growth they experienced.
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