Jokic, Murray Lead Nuggets to Series-Tying Win

Less than 48 hours removed from a heartbreaking four-overtime loss, the Denver Nuggets secured a gusty 116-112 road victory over the Portland Trail Blazers to even the Western Conference Semifinals series at two games apiece.

Nikola Jokic registered his fourth triple-double of the postseason with a 21-point, 12-rebound, 11-assist performance. Jokic fought through fatigue and posted his second consecutive triple-double, having played 65 minutes in Friday's 4-OT loss.

Nuggets even their series by def. Trail Blazers 116-112 in Game 4.

Nikola Jokic is now the 7th player with 4 triple-doubles in a single postseason in NBA history, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, LeBron James, Rajon Rondo & Jason Kidd. (h/t @EliasSports) pic.twitter.com/oX4jltr6qm

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 6, 2019

Jamal Murray scored a game-best 34 points in the win.  The Nuggets outscored the Trail Blazers 27-14 in the third quarter, before holding on in the final frame behind some clutch free throw shooting. Murray knocked down all 11 of his free throw attempts, including six in the waning minutes of action. He has scored over 30 points in back-to-back games, the first Nuggets player to accomplish this feat in the postseason since Carmelo Anthony did so in 2010.

Jamal Murray outplayed Damian Lillard in Denver's Game 4 victory. (Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

CJ McCollum recorded 29 points and Damian Lillard scored 28 for the Trail Blazers, who lost at home for the first time this postseason. Seth Curry scored 16 off the bench—14 coming in the second quarter in which he hit four 3's.

Paul Millsap logged his third straight double-double, producing 21 points and corralling 10 rebounds in the Game 4 win.

The Nuggets received a major scare when Jokic limped off the court in the final minutes with a leg injury, but he returned on the next possession. 

Head coach Michael Malone dismissed the ailment afterward, saying, "He just got kneed, nothing serious." 

The Nuggets return home for Game 5 on Tuesday.

NBA 2017-18 Western Conference Standings Predictions

With the summer drawing to a close and the NBA’s Opening Night tipping-off in less than two months, standings predictions are detailed here for the upcoming season in the Western Conference.

1. Golden State Warriors

By far the best team in the league, the Dubs brought back their championship core and added guard Nick Young and forward Omri Casspi in free agency.

The Warriors could reach the 70-win plateau for the second time in three seasons.

2. Houston Rockets

The Rockets are constructing their roster to dethrone the Warriors. Not only did they trade for superstar point guard Chris Paul, they also signed P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute — two defensive stalwarts whom can guard (as best as one possibly can) Kevin Durant.

Chris Paul holds his jersey up in his introductory press conference with the Houston Rockets. Houston’s general manager Daryl Morey (left) and head coach Mike D’Antoni (right) are also shown. (AP Photo)

Houston is the home for two of the 10 best players (James Harden and Paul) in the NBA. Will it also be the home of Carmelo Anthony come this winter?

3. San Antonio Spurs

It was a bit of a rough offseason for the Spurs. Not only did their in-state rivals acquire Paul, a player who the Spurs coveted, they lost Jonathan Simmons in free agency (Orlando Magic) and their biggest move of the summer was signing Rudy Gay, who is coming off a season-ending Achilles injury.

Tony Parker is out until January, as the Spurs’ floor general recovers from successful surgery on his left quad. Patty Mills will be manning the point guard duties in the meantime.

Even with Parker out and forward LaMarcus Aldridge reportedly unhappy in San Antonio, the Spurs remain a top-3 team in the West because of Kawhi Leonard, the best two-way player in the league.

4. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder pulled off one of the most stunning trades in recent memory, acquiring superstar forward Paul George from the Indiana Pacers in return for mercurial guard Victor Oladipo — currently in the midst of a hefty contract — and backup forward Domantas Sabonis.

Four-time All-Star Paul George, a free agent in 2018, is the newest member of the Thunder. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)

Some think George, an impending free agent, may be a 1-year rental, but the forward made it clear if the Thunder reach the West Finals (or beyond) he’d be “dumb to leave” Oklahoma City.

Now serious contenders in the Western Conference, the Thunder re-signed defensive juggernaut Andre Roberson and inked stretch forward Patrick Patterson to a three-year contract.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves haven’t qualified for the postseason since 2004 but their woes appear to be in the past after landing Jimmy Butler in a Draft Night trade from the Chicago Bulls.

The Timberwolves signed Jeff Teague to join a (projected) starting lineup comprising of Butler, Karl Anthony-Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Gorgui Dieng.

The bench features free agent additions Jamal Crawford and Taj Gibson.

6. Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers squeaked into the playoffs last year — only to get throttled in a first-round sweep at the hands of the champion Warriors. Though it was a disappointing season for Portland, given its expectations, there is certainly room for optimism because of Jusuf Nurkic.

The seven-foot 23-year-old Bosnian center was traded from the Denver Nuggets to the Trail Blazers at February’s trade deadline. From the moment he arrived in Portland, Nurkic played like an All-Star, averaging 15.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals per contest.

Jusuf Nurkic will be critical to Portland’s success in 2017–18. (Sam Forencich/Getty Images)

Nurkic’s season was cut short after he suffered a non-displaced right leg fracture, as the center missed the final seven games of the regular season and appeared in just one game (17 minutes in Game 3) in the playoffs.

Assuming Nurkic returns to form, he can establish a powerful trio with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. And if all goes well, the Trail Blazers can trade for Carmelo Anthony (they would first have to convince the 10-time All-Star to waive his no-trade clause and leave the New York Knicks) and acquire the star power needed to compete in a Western Conference loaded with All-Star caliber players.

7. Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets missed the playoffs by a mere game last season. After adding All-Star forward Paul Millsap in free agency, the Nuggets are poised to make the postseason for the first time since 2013.

Millsap will form a one-two punch in the middle with center Nikola Jokic, a bonafide superstar in the second half of last season who looks the part of a perennial All-Star.

Jokic is a walking double-double who improved on the defensive side of the ball as the season commenced. Jokic’s dominant interior presence will keep the Nuggets competitive in the West for years to come.

8. Utah Jazz

Gordon Hayward defected to the Boston Celtics in free agency, but the Jazz still have Rudy Gobert, a member of the All-NBA Second Team last season.

Replacing Hayward is an impossible task — at least for the upcoming season — for the Jazz who now must rely heavily on Gobert, the NBA’s blocks leader in 2016–17 who made the NBA All-Defensive First Team.

The Jazz traded for point guard Ricky Rubio — replacing George Hill, who signed with the lowly Sacramento Kings — and re-signed Joe Ingles. They also inked veteran forwards Jonas Jerebko and Thabo Sefolosha to two-year deals as the Jazz recovered relatively well from the Hayward departure.

Advancing to the West semifinals last year, the Jazz will likely be grinding just to reach the playoffs. They could find themselves battling with the Los Angles Clippers — who they defeated in a seven-game series last postseason — for the eighth seed in the West.

Rest of the Pack

9. Los Angeles Clippers

10. New Orleans Pelicans

11. Memphis Grizzlies

12. Dallas Mavericks

13. Los Angeles Lakers

14. Sacramento Kings

15. Phoenix Suns

Can the Celtics Lure LaMarcus Aldridge to Boston?

            The Boston Celtics have the cap space necessary to offer a top-tier free agent a maximum contract this offseason. Not typically big players in the free agent market, General Manager Danny Ainge is willing to improve his team in any means possible —including dishing out a lucrative contract to a star this summer.

            "We haven't ever had cap space, I don’t think, in the history of the Celtics," Ainge jokingly said. "For sure since I've been here. So we need to use that space wisely. We can't just spend it just because we have it."

            The Celtics certainly have the cash (roughly $33.2 million in spending money) to land a star. But will a player be interested in hopping on board Ainge’s rebuilding train—albeit one that is soaring much faster than anyone could have imagined—to become the centerpiece of the 17-time NBA Champion Celtics?

            There is a widespread myth that free agents do not want to come to Boston. While the Celtics have never inked an elite player through free agency, how many stars have the Celtics actually heavily chased on the open market? The franchise has consistently looked towards trades that better the team in the short and long-term, along with mindful picks in the draft, to reload their squad. However, this year’s free agency presents the Celtics with a new opportunity to dispel the notion that players are uninterested in signing a contract to play on the famous parquet floor. With the Portland Trailblazers’ LaMarcus Aldridge set to hit the open market, the time is now for the Celtics to rail in their ideal star in free agency.

            Aldridge is likely the player the Celtics chase the hardest this summer. The dynamic 6-foot-10-inch forward/center has a polished post game with a superb ability to finish around the basket. Aldridge—who posted 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per contest with a 22.85 player efficiency rating in 2014-15—also owns a commendable mid-range game that fits well into Boston’s offense, which relies upon strong shooting from its big men.

The Celtics could make a big push to sign free-agent-to-be LaMarcus Aldridge. (Craig Mitchelldyer-USA Today Sports)

            It’s easy to sell Aldridge to Boston’s management and its fans—but what do the Celtics offer to the four-time All-Star?

            First and foremost, the Celtics provide Aldridge the chance to be the cornerstone of the most successful franchise in league history. Aldridge, reportedly unhappy with the media’s newfound obsession with Damian Lillard, can defect to Boston and instantly become ‘The Man’ for the Green and White.

            The extraordinarily weak Eastern Conference is something Aldridge can’t ignore. The only current realistic title contender is the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers. The Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls are all a player (or two) away from being bulletproof threats to win the championship. If Alrdidge stays in the West—either to remain in Portland or to jump ship to the Dallas Mavericks, the purported favorites to land the free-agent-to-be—he will have to deal with the Golden State Warriors, the San Antonio Spurs (another serious contender for the All-Star’s services), the Houston Rockets, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Memphis Grizzlies in the immediate future. 

            Does Portland even stand a chance against any of the aforementioned teams come playoff time? What about the Mavs?—currently led by an aging Dirk Nowitzki—who got smacked by the Rockets in the first-round of the postseason? Good luck going deep into the playoffs in either Portland or Dallas.

           Aldridge has reached the second round (2014) just once in his career and his team was promptly swept by the eventual-champion Spurs.

            If Aldridge flocks to Boston, he could find himself in the Conference Finals as early as next season. The Celtics are an up-and-coming team with a young core of guards (Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley, Isaiah Thomas and James Young) and a treasure cove of draft picks over the next couple of years. Boston can offer Aldirdge a four-year, $80 million contract. Sign with the Celtics and he’s assured a playoff spot for the extent of his deal. Join Boston, the ‘city of champions’, and he immediately becomes the top power forward in the conference.

            Aldridge said last summer his goal was to be the greatest Trail Blazer of all-time. He was steadfast in his desire to leave a legacy in the City. Now frustrated with the direction of the franchise and no longer enamored with painting his mark in Portland, why not follow the footsteps in the long list of Celtics legends? Aldridge wants to be revered. He wants to be the talk of a city. Playing in Boston gives him the best chance to do that. Watch the tribute videos the Celtics made for Kevin Garnett and for Paul Pierce and witness yourself how the city honors its basketball heroes.

            Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Sam Jones, John Havlicek, Dave Cowens, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish—to name a few Celtic legends—have their numbers retired in the rafters and all of them remain treasured by the city. Garnett and Pierce will soon see their numbers raised as well. Aldridge has the opportunity to join Boston’s decorated history. Question remains, is Aldridge intrigued by the chance to join a pool of basketball legends?