In Game 3 of the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Denver Nuggets’ big early lead disappeared entirely in the fourth quarter, and the Lakers’ home crowd was in a frenzy. However, the Nuggets weathered every setback and calmly, methodically took control with a poise worthy of champions. With one more victory, they’ll finally get the chance to play for their first rings.
Nuggets Roll to a 3-0 Lead
Jamal Murray scored 37 points, Nikola Jokic added 24 points and eight assists, and the Nuggets rolled to a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals with a 119-108 victory over Los Angeles on Saturday night. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half against his former team for the top-seeded Nuggets, who have never been this close to the NBA Finals in 47 years in the league.
Denver blew a 14-point lead in Game 3 but made a decisive 13-0 run in the fourth quarter to snap the Lakers’ nine-game home winning streak since March 26, including seven straight victories since the regular season ended. No team has rallied from a 3-0 playoff series deficit in NBA history. Game 4 is Monday night in Los Angeles.
Murray Shines for the Nuggets
Murray’s streak of 23-point fourth quarter two nights ago continued as he scored 17 points in a dynamic first quarter. He had 30 points by halftime of Game 3, while Jokic’s streak of four consecutive triple-doubles ended in a fairly quiet game for the two-time MVP, who got his fourth foul in the third quarter.
Bruce Brown scored 15 points and hit a key 3-pointer down the stretch for the Nuggets before Jokic all but iced it on a 3-pointer with 3:17 to play. The Lakers’ passionate fans turned out in force for the 17-time champion franchise’s first conference finals games at home since 2010.
Lakers’ Surge Runs Out of Steam
Anthony Davis had 28 points and 18 rebounds for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who hadn’t lost three straight games since early February. Los Angeles’ prolonged, desperate surge ever since the trade deadline has finally run out of steam against the powerhouse Nuggets, who have won five consecutive playoff games.
LeBron James had 23 points, 12 assists, and 7 rebounds for Los Angeles, hitting three 3-pointers after starting the series 0-for-13 from distance. Austin Reaves added 23 points and seven rebounds, but Rui Hachimura was the only other Lakers scorer to crack double figures with 13 points.
“They’ve been at the top of the food chain for a reason and have a plethora of guys that can hurt you, as was on full display tonight,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “But you know, circumstances are what they are. Difficult, but not impossible.”
Nuggets Show Belief in Their Ability to Win
“This group is capable of doing great things, and they believe,” Denver coach Michael Malone said. “Belief is a very powerful thing.” Caldwell-Pope said, “We have that dog mentality where no matter if we’re up, down, we’re going to continue to fight and play our game and do it at a high level. We’re going to continue to do that for the rest of these games.”
Murray said, “Our backs have been against the wall [for] probably about the last two months, maybe more than that since the trade deadline. We can either come out Monday and go home, or we can fight for another day. And with the group of guys that we’ve got, I know what that answer will be.”
In Game 4, the Lakers will do everything in their power to come back and fight on their home floor. The Nuggets are ready and know that they can do it.
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