It took a long time—47 seasons in all since the ABA-NBA merger—but the Nuggets are finally headed to the NBA Finals.
Denver rallied past the Lakers to win Game 4 of the Western Conference finals by a score of 113–111 Monday evening, surviving a tremendous 40-point effort from Los Angeles forward LeBron James. The win gave the Nuggets their first conference title in a season where they finished with the West's best record for the first time.
It was an eventful, historic game, as James dropped 31 in the first half and Denver center Nikola Jokić broke a triple-double record held by Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain. The dramatic affair drew a variety of reactions from basketball observers and fans, most in praise of Jokić and James.