NBA Game Notes (May 22, 2023)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on May 22, 2023.

Nuggets Reach First Finals

The Denver Nuggets reached the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, completing a sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers with a 113-111 win in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. The Nuggets will face either the Miami Heat (in Denver) or Boston Celtics (in Boston), with Game 1 scheduled for June 1.

The Nuggets — who joined the NBA for the 1976-77 season following the ABA-NBA merger — played 46 seasons before reaching the NBA Finals for the first time, the longest such drought in league history:

• 46 — Denver Nuggets (1977-2022)

• 36 — Cleveland Cavaliers (1971-2006)

• 25 — Brooklyn Nets (1977-2001)

• 25 — Dallas Mavericks (1980-2005)

• 24 — Chicago Bulls (1967-1990)

* Five franchises have yet to make an NBA Finals appearance: LA Clippers (53 seasons), Minnesota Timberwolves (34), Charlotte Hornets (33), Memphis Grizzlies (28), and New Orleans Pelicans (21).

The Nuggets trailed by 15 points at halftime before rallying for the win. It’s the second-largest halftime deficit overcome to win a playoff game in franchise history, trailing only the 16-point deficit they faced on Sep. 13, 2020 versus the LA Clippers.