NBA roundup: Nuggets, Raptors even series

[April 17, 2019]    Jamal Murray scored 21 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, and the host Denver Nuggets rallied from down 19 to beat the San Antonio Spurs 114-105 in Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Tuesday night.

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone reacts with guard Jamal Murray (27) in the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in game two of the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Nikola Jokic had 21 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, Gary Harris scored 23 points, and Paul Millsap had 20 points for Denver. The Nuggets tied the series 1-1 and ended San Antonio's seven-game playoff winning streak in Denver.

DeMar DeRozan scored 31 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points for the Spurs.

Murray, who missed his first eight shots, hit five consecutive shots in the fourth quarter, including two straight and a pair of free throws that gave Denver a 99-97 lead, its first advantage since 17-16. The Nuggets were ahead by three before Murray drained two 3-pointers to make it 110-101.

Raptors 111, Magic 82

Kawhi Leonard scored 37 points on 15-for-22 shooting from the field, and Toronto defeated visiting Orlando to even its first-round Eastern Conference playoff series at one game apiece.

Pascal Siakam added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors, who never trailed. Kyle Lowry contributed 22 points and seven assists for Toronto while Serge Ibaka chipped in with 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

Aaron Gordon scored 20 points for the Magic, who split the regular-season series 2-2 with the Raptors. Terrence Ross added 15 points for Orlando while Evan Fournier scored 10 points.

Trail Blazers 114, Thunder 94

CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard combined for 62 points as Portland swept to a victory over visiting Oklahoma City.

McCollum scored 33 points and Lillard added 29 as the Trail Blazers seized a 2-0 lead in the first-round Western Conference playoff series. Maurice Harkless chipped in 14 points and nine rebounds for Portland, which led by as many as 22 points in the fourth quarter.

Paul George tallied 27 points with eight rebounds for the Thunder, who led by as many as 10 points in the first half. Russell Westbrook collected 14 points, 11 assists and nine boards for Oklahoma City but shot only 5 of 20 from the field.

--Field Level Media

[© 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2019 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.