LOS ANGELES — The Denver Nuggets played with disruption on their minds in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.
Everybody on the Nuggets' bench seemed to know their team had never reached the NBA Finals, had never swept a playoff opponent, and had never taken a playoff series from the Los Angeles Lakers.
After Nikola Jokic conjured his latest triple-double playoff masterpiece and Aaron Gordon blocked LeBron James' shot at the buzzer, Denver had torn up its franchise's history with a clinching 113-111 victory.
This often-overlooked franchise will be favored to win its first championship when the Nuggets get back on the court in nine days.
