“Now it’s a one game series.” It is the way in which LeBron James wants to face the tie for tomorrow’s game, the fourth in a series that, if we stick to the background, he no longer belongs to the Lakers. A 3-0 down is a difference that no one has managed to raise in all of NBA history. That is what a team faces that, since Russell Westbrook was traded in February and place a series of secondary pieces around Anthony Davis and LeBron himself, they were the best team in the west by record. One that had nine consecutive victories at home, that had not lost at the Crypto.com Arena since March 26 and that had not lost in three consecutive games since the beginning of February, just before the transfer.
But all that is past now. Because the Denver Nuggets, one of the few franchises that have never played in an NBA Finals, are about to do so. At the expense of the Lakers, of course. The Rockies team has won the third bet (108-119) and he has blown up all those statistics tonight in a game other than the first two, which shows even more that this year they are very serious about the ring. Because the meeting was very expensive without a memorable performance from Nikola Jokic, who had posted a triple-double in their last four games. He today he stayed at an acceptable 24 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists. Some dream numbers for anyone that in the case of the Serbian make him seem something earthly. The problem was in personal fouls. When he made the fourth he midway through the third quarter, with the Lakers growing the stands of the formerly called Staples Center, which had not experienced a conference final since 2010, came to a boil.
A triple by Rui Hachimura at the beginning of the last quarter gave his team the first lead on the scoreboard. But right there, when things looked worse, the Nuggets showed that they have what it takes to be champions. According to Mike Malone, coach of the Denver team, “Coach Jokic” suggested a pick-and-roll between him and Jamal Murray. The result was a 0-13 partial that left the environment frozen. Murray was again the enforcerfollowing his good streak at the end of the second match, although this time he amassed most of his points in a lethal first halfin which he went to rest with 30 of his 37 goals. The second part was more of a choral performance, Michael Porter Jr. (14 points, 4 triples, 10 rebounds and 6 assists), Bruce Brown (15 points and 5 basket passes) and, above all, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (17 points, 13 of them in the second part). The ex of the Lakers was key to keeping his team afloat when the locals pressed the most.
In front, Anthony Davis went to 28 points with more than 60% shooting from the field, in addition to grabbing 18 rebounds. LeBron James, who finally hit a triple in the series (3), forced to play 43 minutes after spraining his ankle in the previous match to sign a 23+7+12. AND Austin Reaves replied once (23+7+5 with outstanding percentages from all distances) keeping his team in the game in the second quarter. But all of them and the rest of the Lakers players, except for the five who came out anecdotally and with everything resolved at the last minute, ended up with a +/- negative. Nobody, not a single one of the eight members of the squad who shared the minutes on the pitch ended with a positive partial. Between that, and that beyond Hachimura’s 13 points the rest of the secondaries didn’t measure up, the game was impossible. Despite coming back and taking the lead with less than 12 minutes to go. In the end, the explanation may simply be that the opponent in front of them is a better team. And that, normally, the best team is the one that ends up winning. That’s why Denver is up 3-0. Because so far they have been better for much more of the tie.
|
3
Anthony Davis |
|
6
Lebron James |
|
9
tristan thompson |
|
17
Dennis Schröder |
|
1
D’Angelo Russell |
|
5
Malik Beasley |
|
0
Shaquille Harrison |
|
7
Troy Brown Jr. |
|
4
Lonnie Walker IV |
|
2
jarred vanderbilt |
|
35
wenyen gabriel |
|
28
Rui Hachimura |
|
fifteen
austin reaves |
|
10
max christie |
| Min | pts | RT | RO | DR | Ast | Per | rec | Tap | T1 | T2 | T3 | FR | CF | Val | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
3
Anthony Davis | 41 | 28 | 18 | 5 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6/8 | 11/18 | 0/0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
6
Lebron James | 42 | 23 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4/7 | 5/10 | 3/9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
9
tristan thompson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
17
Dennis Schröder | 24 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1/2 | 23 | 0/2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
|
1
D’Angelo Russell | twenty | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/2 | 1/6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
5
Malik Beasley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
0
Shaquille Harrison | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
7
Troy Brown Jr. | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
4
Lonnie Walker IV | 18 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3/4 | 0/1 | 2/4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
2
jarred vanderbilt | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/3 | 0/1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
35
wenyen gabriel | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
28
Rui Hachimura | 33 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2/2 | 4/9 | 1/3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
fifteen
austin reaves | 39 | 23 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 6/6 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
10
max christie | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
32
Jeff Green |
|
6
DeAndre Jordan |
|
fifty
Aaron Gordon |
|
5
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope |
|
7
reggie jackson |
|
14
ish smith |
|
fifteen
Nikola Jokic |
|
27
Jamal Murray |
|
13
Thomas Bryant |
|
31
Vlatko Cancar |
|
1
Michael Porter Jr. |
|
eleven
Bruce Brown |
|
22
Zeke Nnaji |
|
0
Christian Braun |
|
8
peyton watson |
| Min | pts | RT | RO | DR | Ast | Per | rec | Tap | T1 | T2 | T3 | FR | CF | Val | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
32
Jeff Green | 23 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 1/2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
6
DeAndre Jordan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
fifty
Aaron Gordon | 32 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3/4 | 2/4 | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
5
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | 3. 4 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1/2 | 23 | 4/7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
7
reggie jackson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
14
ish smith | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
fifteen
Nikola Jokic | 38 | 24 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4/7 | 7/14 | 2/5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
|
27
Jamal Murray | 41 | 37 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2/2 | 10/18 | 5/11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
13
Thomas Bryant | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
31
Vlatko Cancar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
1
Michael Porter Jr. | 38 | 14 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2/2 | 0/1 | 4/10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
eleven
Bruce Brown | 28 | fifteen | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2/2 | 5/6 | 1/5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
|
22
Zeke Nnaji | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
0
Christian Braun | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
8
peyton watson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |