In a stunning turn of events, the Los Angeles Lakers let a commanding 20-point lead slip away, resulting in a heartbreaking 101-99 defeat at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets now lead the first-round NBA playoff series 2-0.

The Lakers' star, Anthony Davis, made his frustration known during the postgame press conference when asked about the final play of the game. Davis tersely replied, "Jamal Murray made a shot," before dropping the microphone on the table and leaving. It appeared that a member of the Lakers' PR staff had signaled that it was the last question.

Davis' frustration was understandable, as the Lakers squandered an opportunity to secure a crucial split in Denver against the defending NBA champions, in a rematch of last year's Western Conference finals. Despite Davis' exceptional performance of 32 points on 14-for-19 shooting and 11 rebounds, the Lakers failed to maintain their lead.

With just 30 seconds left in the game, Murray tied the score at 99-99 with a 19-footer. LeBron James had a chance to regain the lead for the Lakers, but he missed an uncontested 3-pointer, allowing the Nuggets' Michael Porter Jr. to grab the rebound. Instead of calling a timeout, Denver opted to continue the play, with Murray ultimately sealing the victory with a walk-off 15-footer.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone explained his decision not to call a timeout, stating, "When they can get set and they switch out everything, you might not even get the ball inbounds. So, I wanted to make sure we could just flow into it and let our best players make plays." Murray, who contributed 20 points and five assists to the game, fell down after taking the shot, causing Davis to trip over Murray's leg and fall backward into the Nuggets' bench.

The collapse of the Lakers was evident, as they held a comfortable 68-48 lead with 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter. Adding to the Lakers' disappointment, LeBron James expressed his dissatisfaction with the officiating after the loss. Despite his 26 points on 9-for-19 shooting, along with 12 assists and eight rebounds, it was not enough to secure a victory for his team.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets were led by their reigning NBA Finals MVP, Nikola Jokic, who recorded a monstrous triple-double of 27 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists, along with two steals.

With the Lakers now facing a 2-0 deficit in the series, they will need to regroup quickly and find a way to bounce back if they hope to avoid an early exit from the playoffs. The Nuggets, on the other hand, have shown resilience and determination, proving that they are a force to be reckoned with in their quest for playoff success.