(Los Angeles) For the first time in 47 years in the NBA, Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets will have the opportunity to win a title, after their impressive qualification in the final at the expense of the Lakers, swept 4-0, despite a great LeBron James on Monday in the playoffs.

The ‘King’ wouldn’t give up and he did everything to get a reprieve in Los Angeles, posting one of the most successful games of his already prodigious career, at 38, with 31 of his 40 points scored in the first period alone. (at 11/13 on shots!), a new personal best in a post-season game.

Exhausted, he nevertheless failed to fire the bell to snatch the extension. And, under the influence of immense disappointment, he caused a stir at a press conference by casting doubt on his future in such a way: “We will see what will happen. I don’t know […]. When it comes to basketball, I have a lot to think about.”

A stupor quickly became trembling when an ESPN journalist, claiming to have then approached him in a corridor of the Crypto.com Arena, reported that he was thinking about a possible retirement.

There was enough to overshadow the performance of Denver in the media, whose qualification is a sweet revenge taken on Los Angeles, which blocked its way at this stage three times, in 1985, 2009 and 2020, after a first failure in 1978 against the Seattle SuperSonics.

These Nuggets were remarkably solid, never giving in to panic, even when Storm James was blowing hard in the first period, finishing 15 lengths behind.

In the third quarter, they became conquerors again, like Nikola Jokic, author of 13 of his 30 points and who finished in triple-double (14 rebounds, 13 assists), almost as usual. And the Lakers to take a big thaw (36-14), to be behind at the start of the last twelve minutes (94-89).

These were very tight. Anthony Davis (21 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks), erased until then, finally pulled out his muscles, countering Jokic before dunking him. The Serb had just taken his fifth foul, but, strangely, no Laker had the idea of ​​going to tickle him again.

And it was he, 73 seconds from the end, who put the winning basket, a few seconds after a winning shot, in a rainbow, on one leg. “Me out of balance?” I’ve been out of balance all my life, so that’s normal for me,” he joked.

The “Joker” obviously wasn’t Denver’s only asset, as the other four starters scored between 13 and 25 points, with Jamal Murray being the most prolific. That’s what made the difference, because James was too lonely, moreover limited to 9 points in the last two quarters (10 rebounds, 9 assists). Even Superman has to get down on one knee sometimes…

“He played an amazing game, we couldn’t stop him in the first half. Then we figured out a way to make him take harder shots. But he remains one of the best players in history,” praised Jokic.

“We are not giving up. They jumped on us at the start, they were better, more aggressive, they scored easily. But everyone rose to the occasion, we made a great collective effort. There’s not just one guy,” added the two-time MVP who received the Magic Johnson Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award.

In fact, the challenge was too high for the Lakers, whose presence in the Conference Finals was unthinkable this winter when they stuttered their basketball and languished in 13th place. Reinforced by a successful transfer window in February, they still had to go through the play-offs to reach the playoffs, before playing the ogres at the expense of tender Grizzlies and eliminating the defending champions Warriors.

Some saw them as favourites, with their experience and the weight of history also -17 times champions. But they reached their glass ceiling against Nuggets collectively better armed and with no apparent weak point.

Fear never flowed through the veins of Michael Malone’s players. They’ll have to stay icy in the Finals to finally put Denver on the NBA map.