The reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets have been put in the uncomfortable position of playing the Los Angeles Lakers seemingly every time they have had something to celebrate lately. On Saturday night, it was LeBron James becoming the first player in league history to score 40,000 points. As has also been the case of late, James ended the evening by admitting the cold-hard truth about Nikola Jokić.

Judging by what Jamal Murray had to say after Denver’s latest resounding win over L.A., it’s clear the Nuggets take tremendous pride in humbling the Lakers in some of their best moments of joy.

After first noting his respect for James, his consistency, and his many accomplishments, Murray didn’t hesitate. He summed up the Nuggets’ mentality behind spoiling another Lakers’ celebration in the most cold-blooded way:

Jamal Murray. So good.

“We just wanted to take the life out of this arena.” @nuggets @AltitudeTV pic.twitter.com/i4jCGRaqxY

— Vic Lombardi (@VicLombardi) March 3, 2024

Man. My goodness. That Murray essentially doesn’t even blink while saying, “We just wanted to take the life out of this arena,” should make clear where the Nuggets stand. (Also note when he says the NBA should schedule someone else for the Lakers when they have something to celebrate. I mean … phew.)

The Nuggets really like to play the Lakers. They really like to humble the Lakers. They take the Lakers seriously and appreciate putting them in their place. There’s no other reasonable conclusion after watching them beat Los Angeles eight consecutive times. Which, for the record, notably includes:

• A sweep in last year’s Western Conference Finals
• A dominant win on Denver’s banner night earlier this year
• A convincing victory on the evening the Lakers unveiled Kobe Bryant’s statue outside their arena
• A conclusive triumph over L.A. on a night where James made all-time history

All of this to say: The Nuggets are accustomed to taking the life out of the Lakers’ arena. Murray and friends are so confident and who can blame them.