The Denver Nuggets are getting closer to another shot at back-to-back championships as they hit the road again to take on the Los Angeles Lakers.
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The Denver Nuggets are getting closer to another shot at back-to-back championships as they hit the road again to take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night. With a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series, the Nuggets secured a 112-105 victory on Thursday by mounting another impressive comeback. Once again, Denver found themselves trailing at halftime for the third game in a row but showed their finishing prowess when it mattered most.
Nikola Jokic led the charge for the Nuggets with 24 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists, but it’s definitely not a one-man effort. Aaron Gordon also came up big, racking up 29 points and 15 rebounds. Jamal Murray chipped in with 22 points, while Michael Porter Jr. contributed 20 points along with 10 rebounds.
Denver found themselves down 53-49 at halftime but quickly turned the tables, taking a double-digit lead just over seven minutes into the third quarter. They stretched their lead to as much as 15 points with 3:02 left in the game and managed to hold off a late Lakers comeback attempt by sinking six crucial free throws in the final 1:06.
For the Lakers, Hood-Schifino, Reddish, Vanderbilt, and Wood will not be playing the game. As for the Nuggets, Cancar and Gellespi will sit this one out.
The Nuggets kept their winning streak alive against the Lakers, notching their 11th straight victory against their Western Conference rivals. What’s even more impressive is that if they win on Saturday, it’ll mark consecutive playoff sweeps over Los Angeles for Denver.
The Lakers might as well start thinking about their summer plans because history isn’t on their side. In 151 attempts, no team has ever come back from an 0-3 deficit in a best-of-seven NBA playoff series. However, LeBron James and Anthony Davis aren’t too concerned about making history. Instead, they’re more focused on narrowing their attention to the challenges ahead.
In Game 3, Davis put up an impressive 33 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, while James contributed 26 points and dished out nine assists. Austin Reaves also made a solid impact with 22 points. However, D’Angelo Russell had a tough night, failing to score a single point in 24 minutes of play, going 0 for 7 from the field and 0 for 6 from beyond the arc.
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