Lakers fall short vs Nuggets on Kobe Bryant statue night
NEW YORK – Jamal Murray sparked the Denver Nuggets in the final minutes to a 114-106 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday (Friday Manila time) after the Lakers unveiled a statue in tribute to the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant.
Murray had 29 points and a game-high 11 assists with seven rebounds, while Nikola Jokic contributed 24 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, and Michael Porter Jr. added 27 points to lead the Nuggets, who share the Western Conference lead with Minnesota at 36-16.
The Lakers erased a 15-point deficit down the stretch but the defending NBA champions closed with a 10-2 run to collect their seventh triumph in a row in games against the Lakers.
"They fought the whole way and it took us staying disciplined for 48 minutes," Murray said. "It was a good team win."
Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and 18-time NBA All-Star, played for the Lakers from 1996-2016 before he died in a 2020 helicopter crash.
The 19-foot bronze statue, weighing 4,000 pounds, shows superstar guard Bryant in his No. 8 Lakers jersey with his right index finger raised in the air. It stands outside the Lakers home arena, where Bryant delivered many of his greatest performances.
"This statue may look like Kobe, but really, it's what excellence looks like," said Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, praising Bryant's "timeless" greatness.
The Lakers, whose three-game win streak was snapped, wore "Black Mamba" jerseys in tribute to Bryant but couldn't complete a fightback.
Denver never trailed, leading by as many as 15 points, but the Lakers tied the game late at 104-104 on an Austin Reaves 3-pointer.
Murray answered with a 3-pointer, a rebound and a jumper and Porter added a 3-pointer to ignite a 10-0 Denver run that sealed matters.
"I missed my last two on some good looks so they just told me knock the next one down with confidence," Murray said. "That's what got us sparked."
Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 32 points and grabbed nine rebounds while LeBron James added 25 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Stephen Curry scored 42 points, hitting 11 of 16 3-point shots and 15 of 22 overall, to spark Golden State over host Indiana 131-109.
It marked Curry's 13th career
