LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The pain on Jamal Murray’s face as he sat for his postgame news conference was unmistakable.

It had nothing to do with the bone bruise in his leg that hobbled him throughout Game 5 or the bruised foot that forced him to change his shoes. The quiet, somber hurt was apparent in his voice. After 82 days inside the “bubble,” where the Nuggets extended their stay far longer than anyone outside of their traveling party thought was possible, Murray wasn’t ready to go home yet.

“It was a good run, but I don’t want to be in the position of losing,” Murray said. “I just hate to lose and nothing else really matters to me.”

If you were to distill what took over the Nuggets ever since they faced their first 3-1 deficit of the playoffs against Utah in the first round, that might be it. More than winning, Murray hates losing. It’s why he and Nuggets coach Michael Malone are so close. They both hate losing more than any satisfaction they get from winning.

And until Saturday night, and even through Saturday night, the Nuggets took on Murray’s dogged persona. They trailed by 16 points with eight minutes remaining in the third quarter only to stage another improbable rally. Over eight minutes, the Nuggets sawed into Los Angeles’ lead, eventually tying it at 84. But LeBron James, with an eye on his 10th Finals appearance, quickly snuffed out the chances of another historic comeback. His 16 points in the fourth quarter sent the Nuggets home, even as Murray gutted out another 43-minute game on his ailing legs.

“I mean, he’s amazing,” Nikola Jokic said of Murray’s spirit. “He was our leader. His energy through the whole playoffs. He was banged up. … But he’s a dog. He’s a fighter. He’s a competitor.”

The Nuggets take immense pride in their culture and makeup. Built organically and sustainably, most of the players on the Nuggets roster have some sort of edge to them. It’s a trait Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly actively covets. He and Malone love players who’ve had to work for everything they’ve attained. They believe it manifests in moments like the six elimination games they faced over the first two rounds.

“Maybe that’s why we didn’t quit in the Utah series, maybe that’s why we didn’t quit in the Clippers series, you know, because we are nobody,” Jokic said. “We are just someone who’ve worked to be here. … We know what the feeling of working hard for something.”

Through 19 playoff games inside the bubble, following the 14 they accrued last year, the Nuggets have expedited a franchise and built a foundation for years to come. Next season, when Michael Porter Jr. becomes a fixture in the rotation, it’s not inconceivable that they take yet another step toward an NBA championship. Denver entered this campaign with the burden of heavy expectations after knocking on the doorstep of the conference finals last season. And with two 3-1 comebacks, not to mention resolve in the face of unprecedented circumstances, the Nuggets far surpassed even the loftiest expectations of most NBA experts.

“I think we have something special brewing,” Malone said. “And I think most importantly, I think people around this country, around the world, who were ing the playoffs, this group of guys, you would be hard pressed to find a better story coming out of this bubble. A bunch of young kids faced elimination, looked it in the face and just kept on surviving and advancing.”

Just as last year’s heartbreaking Game 7 against Portland ushered in those expectations, this year’s magical run will foster an even higher level of scrutiny. It’s a welcome pressure for a franchise with realistic championship aspirations.

“I think all great teams and champions have to go through the pains of losing,” Malone said. “And nothing is handed to you in this business. And we’re making steps. We’re moving in the right direction with a great group of guys. I wouldn’t want to be with any other group. I love our team. I really do.”

The final 4-1 margin does not accurately represent just how competitive the Western Conference Finals really was. After Game 1, the Lakers outscored the Nuggets just 442-432. Anthony Davis’ Game 2 dagger ripped one from the Nuggets they felt they should’ve won. And even bouncing back to win Game 3 was a testament to their tenacity. But injuries to Murray and even Will Barton, who never played a minute in the postseason, left the Nuggets without enough answers to combat the intensity of James and Davis.

What they did gain, though, was a deeper understanding of who they are as a team and the direction they plan to go next season.

“We fought for one another,” Murray said. “We trust one another more than we did during the regular season. We’re just on the same page with everything we’re doing. … And it’s only our second year in the playoffs. I wish things went differently, but I’m just proud of our guys, proud of everything we have done, everything we have accomplished. It’s not the end goal, but to make it this far and surprise as many people as we did, it’s a good feeling. So just try to come back next year and try to come back stronger.”