Mile High Sports

Denver Nuggets do it to the Los Angeles Lakers AGAIN, take commanding 3-0 series lead

Ryan Blackburn

Apr 25, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (50) dunks for the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and forward Anthony Davis (3) during the first half in game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

It should be illegal for the Denver Nuggets to own this much mental real estate over the Los Angeles Lakers. They did it to them AGAIN.

The Nuggets defeated the Lakers 112-105 to take a commanding 3-0 series lead on Thursday night. Once again, the Nuggets trailed at halftime. Once again, they used a third quarter run to propel themselves ahead. Once again, they shut the door in the fourth quarter with elite shotmaking and playmaking, this time from Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon especially.

The Nuggets jumped out to a double-digit lead in the third quarter on great shotmaking from the starting five. They used a 20-8 run to put the Lakers on their heels, getting stops and getting out in transition. The Nuggets didn’t have a ton of transition points, and they shot a ghastly 5-of-28 from three-point range, but they worked their offense, generated mismatches, and dominated on the glass. They simply outworked the Lakers tonight.

The aforementioned Porter only scored 20 points, but they were a big 20 points and extremely timely. Porter’s second half shotmaking made up for a slow first half, and it was his mastery of the mid-range that served as the ultimate backbreaker for the Lakers, who mostly contested his shots well but couldn’t do anything about it. Porter added 10 rebounds and three assists of his own and impacted the game on both ends of the floor.

Jamal Murray led the way with 21 shots tonight, and he only made 8-of-21 from the field. Murray’s efficiency is still somewhat troubling, especially since Denver’s margins will get tighter and tighter the further they go in the playoffs. Still, Murray had some great moments tonight, finishing with 22 points and nine assists. It was his bench stint with Porter, Gordon, Christian Braun, and Peyton Watson that gave the Nuggets the breathing room they needed, and Murray did a nice job orchestrating those possessions and setting up teammates for success.

Off the bench, Christian Braun and Peyton Watson each made timely plays, and their help defensively in the second quarter kept the Nuggets in the game. Braun had some cuts to the basket, including a nice And-1. Watson had two blocks in that stretch and actually led the team in plus-minus at +9 in 16 minutes. His ability to be part of things, even if he wasn’t involved offensively, was a big deal. Justin Holiday wasn’t making his shots, but Reggie Jackson did make a three toward the end of the third quarter. Unfortunately, Jackson rolled his ankle soon after and never returned to the game.

For the Lakers, Anthony Davis was once again dominant offensively…through three quarters. He was barely involved in the fourth quarter and could barely keep up with what was going on at either end of the floor. LeBron James continued to work hard and had a solid scoring and playmaking game, but he just didn’t get enough help from those around him.

The two biggest culprits for the Lakers in this game (and series) have been D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura. Russell dropped a GOOSE EGG tonight, zero points on 0-o7 from the field, 0-of-6 from three. He was a complete non-factor in a game that the Lakers couldn’t shoot either, and they really could have used him.

Overall, the Nuggets have to feel great about where they’re at. After an extremely difficult and emotionally charged Game 2, tonight’s Game 3 was fairly straightforward. The Nuggets bided their time, stayed close to the Lakers, and took over in the third quarter with elite execution. They held on in the fourth quarter, and it never really became a game until the Lakers hit some hero shots at the end. This had to feel great for everyone in the Nuggets locker room, especially for Gordon and Porter. They played pivotal roles tonight and were the difference, which is a big deal when the Lakers are getting such hit-or-miss contributions from their role players.

The Nuggets and Lakers will play Game 4 on Saturday unless the Lakers decide to forfeit.

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