Lakers vs Nuggets: Nikola Jokic's heroics give Nuggets 1-0 lead over Lebron James' Lakers

LA Lakers and Denver Nuggets squared off at Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. The nuggets drew the first blood after leading in the entirety of the match. The match ended with a final score of 132-126.

After defeating the Warriors LA Lakers, who have been defensively at their best this season went up against the most offensive team in the form of the Denver Nuggets. The match took place at the Ball Arena, thus Nuggets had the home advantage. The advantage materialized on the score sheet as Denver have taken the 1-0 lead in the series. Nikola Jokic was the standout performer for the Nuggets. The Serb registered 21 rebounds, 14 assists, and 34 points. Jamal Murray also had a sensational night. He scored 31 points. Lebron James on the other hand had an off day considering his standards. Anthony Davis however made the commiserations for the Lakers with an incredible mark of 40 points. However, on the day it wasn't enough, as the Lakers fell short by 6.

Lakers vs Nuggets NBA playoffs: Denver takes 1-0 lead over Lakers

 Nikola Jokic recorded his sixth triple-double of these playoffs with 34 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists, powering the Denver Nuggets to a 132-126 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the opener of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday night. Behind Jokic's sizzling start and strong finish, and Jamal Murray's 31 points, Denver beat the Lakers in the opener of a playoff series for the first time ever. After a slow start, Anthony Davis had 40 points and 10 rebounds, and LeBron James finished with 26 points, 12 boards and nine assists. Austin Reaves chipped in 23 points and fueled LA's desperate fourth-quarter run that nearly erased Denver's 14-point cushion after three.The Nuggets led by as many as 21 but the Lakers pulled within three points twice in the fourth quarter, once on Reaves' 3-pointer at 124-121 and again on James' pair of free throws that made it 129-126 with 1:12 remaining.

Nuggets took the lead in the initial minutes and held it for the entirety of the match. As 10 seconds were left in the Q4, Lakers called for a timeout. After the breather, the intention was clear that was to hit 3-pointers, but James' wavered shot could not even hit the basket and as a result, the 6-point lead remained unbreached. The nuggets will play another home home game on Friday when the sides will clash again.