The Denver Nuggets reached the NBA finals for the first time in their history after Nikola Jokic led a second-half fightback to complete a 4-0 Western Conference championship sweep over the Los Angeles Lakers.

 

The Nuggets overturned a 15-point half-time deficit to win 113-111.

 

Jokic, the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, finished with 30 points.

 

The Nuggets will face either the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics in the finals from 1-18 June.

LeBron James says he has "a lot to think about" after the Los Angeles Lakers were knocked out of the NBA play-offs by the Denver Nuggets.

 

The Lakers were beaten 4-0 in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals by the Denver Nuggets.

 

It leaves the Lakers without a trophy for the third consecutive season, while James' post-game comments have fuelled talk he could be set to retire.

 

"We'll see what happens going forward. I don't know," said James, 38.

 

"I've got a lot to think about to be honest," he added.

Carmelo Anthony has confirmed his retirement from basketball after a 20-year career in the NBA.

 

A 10-time NBA All-Star, the 38-year-old was one of the most prolific scorers in basketball history.

 

Anthony played his last game for the Los Angeles Lakers in April 2022 and announced his decision in a video montage on his Instagram account.

 

"I remember the days when I had nothing, just a ball on the court and a dream with something more," he said.

 

"But basketball was my outlet. My purpose was strong. My communities, the cities I represented with pride and the fans that supported me along the way.

Jayson Tatum scored 33 points as the Boston Celtics kept alive their NBA play-offs by beating the Miami Heat.

 

Jaylen Brown added 17 points and Derrick White 16 in a 116-99 win for the Celtics, who would have been eliminated with a defeat.

 

The second seeds trail 3-1 in the best-of-seven series going into game five on Thursday (01:30 BST Friday).

 

"Now we just have to go win another one, that's all that matters," said Celtics guard Marcus Smart.

 

No team in NBA play-off history has ever recovered from a 3-0 deficit to win a series.

Jaylen Brown said the Boston Celtics "set the tone from start to finish" as they continued their comeback in the Eastern Conference finals with a second straight win over the Miami Heat.

 

They scored 16 three-pointers in a dominant 110-97 win to cut their deficit in the series to 3-2.

 

No NBA team has ever previously rallied from 3-0 down to win a best-of-seven play-off series.

 

"The only thing that can stop us is us," said Brown.

 

With 21 points, Brown was one of four Boston players to score in double digits with Derrick White top-scoring on 24. Marcus Smart added 23 while Jayson Tatum also made 21.

Derrick White scored a dramatic buzzer-beater as the Boston Celtics continued their remarkable fightback from 3-0 down to level the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Miami Heat.

 

With the Celtics trailing 103-102, Marcus Smart's last-gasp three-point attempt bounced off the rim but White tipped it in moments before the buzzer.

 

No NBA team has come from 3-0 down to win a best-of-seven play-off series.

 

The decisive final game takes place on Monday (01:30 BST Tuesday) in Boston.

Aaron Gordon, from losing the Dunk Contest three times, to leading Nuggets' win at Game 4 last Saturday.

 

 

Looks like Nikola Jokic will be the Final MVP if Nuggets win Game 5 at Tuesday midnight.

Congratulations to the Nuggets for winning the 2022-23 NBA Season, their first ever title.

 

Nikola Jokić is indeed the NBA Finals MVP, averaging 30.2 points, 14.2 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.4 blocks in the finals. Jokić becomes only the 5th international player to win the award, joining Hakeem Olajuwon (1994 & 1995), Tony Parker (2006), Dirk Nowitzki (2011), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (2021).