Lakers eliminate Nuggets, advance to 1st Finals since 2010
The Los Angeles Lakers will compete for a 17th NBA championship.
LeBron James recorded 38 points with 16 rebounds and 10 assists Saturday as the Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals to book their first trip to The Finals since 2010.
Anthony Davis, who was listed as questionable earlier in the day due to ankle soreness, added 27 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 35 minutes.
The Lakers now await the winner of the Eastern Conference finals between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics. The Heat currently own a 3-2 series lead.
Denver became the first team in NBA history to overcome multiple 3-1 series deficits in one postseason, doing so against the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers. But the Nuggets were unable to mount a third such rally against the Lakers, who have now eliminated Denver at this stage on three separate occasions: 1985, 2009, and 2020.
The Nuggets are still searching for their first Finals appearance since joining the NBA in 1976.
James, meanwhile, is headed to his ninth Finals in the last decade and tenth overall in his 17-year NBA career.