Nuggets stay alive, beat Oklahoma City 104-101 in Game 4

On a summer night two years ago, the Nuggets won Game 4 of this year's playoffs. The Nuggets waited patiently until they made their move in the 2009 NBA draft, trading a future draft pick for the rights to the No. 18 pick, which they used to select North Carolina's Ty Lawson.

"We have a formula here where we track point guard efficiency," scouting director Mike Bratz said at the time. "He had one of the highest ratings in history."

And, in Monday's Game 4 Nuggets victory, 104-101 over Oklahoma City, Lawson had his best game as a pro, keeping Denver's season alive with incredible efficiency — a team-high 27 points, three assists, just one turnover and 9-for-9 from the free throw line, including two with 6.2 seconds eft that gave the Nuggets a five-point lead.

"Coach says that when I attack, it fuels the team," Lawson said. "Everyone was talking about us being swept. There was a lot of emotion involved in this game. This was the biggest game of my life right now, so I just wanted to come out and just played strong. And we all did."