Denver Nuggets reach the NBA Final after sweeping Lakers 4-0

After Nikola Jokic spearheaded a comeback in the second half to accomplish a 4-0 Western Conference championship sweep over the Los Angeles Lakers, the Denver Nuggets advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in their history.

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.

The Heat can secure the series with a win in game four on Tuesday (01:30 BST Wednesday).

LeBron James had appeared to be holding the Lakers' season together on his own after the Lakers outscored Nuggets in the first half 73-58.

Jokic, however, helped the Nuggets attack pick up steam in the third quarter, scoring 13 points as the top seeds in the Western Conference beat the Lakers 36-16 to turn the game around.

With 51.7 seconds left in a thrilling fourth quarter, Jokic made a driving layup in heavy traffic to give Denver a two-point lead.

With four seconds left, James had one last chance to tie the match and force overtime, but his attempted driving floater was blocked by Denver's Aaron Gordon to leave the Nuggets celebrating a famous win.

Although James finished with 40 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Lakers, their supporting cast once again failed to step up when it mattered, with a series of missed baskets in the fourth quarter allowing the Nuggets, one of 11 teams in the league who have never won the NBA championship, to hold on to clinch victory.