James takes charge in 4th qtr to quell Nuggets rally, leading Lakers to first Finals since 2010
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Three-time Finals Most Valuable Player LeBron James en route to recording a triple-double against the Nuggets with 38 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists and sealing the Los Angeles Lakers' berth in the NBA Finals for the 32nd time.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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Published Sep 28, 2020, 05:00 AM
ORLANDO • With the gritty Denver Nuggets refusing to go away, LeBron James took control in Game 5 on Saturday to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to their first National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals in a decade.
He scored nine straight points late in the fourth quarter - a stretch capped by a three-pointer that put the Lakers up 115-103 with 1min 57sec left - to close the series in five games.
"He told us it was his time," Lakers forward Anthony Davis said after the 117-107 victory in the NBA's bubble near Orlando.
"They were making a push late in the third... Everybody just kinda got out of the way just let him be him. And he brought it home for us."
James finished with 38 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists, ensuring the Nuggets would not be able to rally from a 3-1 deficit again after similar comeback wins against the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers.
James, who is into his 17th NBA season, has now reached the Finals for the 10th time - a first with the Lakers. He is tied with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with Bill Russell (12) and Sam Jones (11) the only players with more appearances.
"I don't know if I've ever witnessed a guy take over a game the way he did in the fourth quarter tonight in person," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said of the 35-year-old. "It was remarkable."
James' previous nine trips to the Finals were with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat - teams in the Eastern Conference.
With sceptics wondering if the three-time NBA champion could flourish in the more competitive Western Conference, James was eager to prove himself.
"He's had a chip on his shoulder all year long," Vogel told the Washington Post.
"Everybody has doubters. To be in the Eastern Conference and get there as much as he had and to come over to the Western Conference, it's an enormous accomplishment to do it with a third team."
Nikola Jokic had 20 points and seven rebounds for Denver. His three-point play with 4:35 remaining had cut the Lakers' lead to 103-99.
Three-time Finals Most Valuable Player LeBron James en route to recording a triple-double against the Nuggets with 38 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists and sealing the Los Angeles Lakers' berth in the NBA Finals for the 32nd time. Below: All-Star forward Anthony Davis celebrating with his maiden Western Conference Finals trophy. He previously made the play-offs only twice in seven seasons with former team New Orleans Pelicans before moving to the Lakers last summer. PHOTOS: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, EPA-EFE
Jerami Grant also scored 20 points, while Jamal Murray, who sustained a right knee bruise in the first half, finished with 19 points and eight assists.
Davis scored 27 points for the Lakers, who are back in the championship series for the 32nd time - and the first since they lifted the trophy for the 16th time in 2010.
Kobe Bryant was the Finals Most Valuable Player that year, and it has been an emotional road to the Finals this season for the Lakers after the 41-year-old's death in a helicopter crash in January.
"Every time you put on the purple and gold you think about his legacy, you think about him and what he meant to this franchise for 20-plus years," James said of Bryant.
"I'm extremely proud to be a part of this franchise getting back to where it belongs, and that's playing for championships."
The Lakers will take on the winners of the Eastern Conference Finals series between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. The Heat lead 3-2 with Game Six coming up this morning (Singapore time).
