With their backs against the wall, the Denver Nuggets responded again. After trailing at half-time in the last seven playoff matchups before Game 3, Denver finally got off to a strong start and took a 63-53 lead into the third quarter over the Lakers. The Nuggets did not ease up in the second half and took their biggest lead of the game at 97-77 on a Jamal Murray dunk with 10:36 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Lakers then charged back with a 19-2 run that took less than five minutes. After trading baskets, the Nuggets were able to pull away with a 13-6 run during the final stretch and came out with a 114-106 win as a 6.5 point underdog on Tuesday night.
Including the regular season, the Lakers still have won five out of seven times head-to-head meetings, but Denver has the edge against the spread, covering in four out of those games.
Lakers looking for a consistent 48 minutes
With the loss on Tuesday, the Lakers still have an impressive 10-3 record in the postseason and are 8-5 against the spread, being a favorite in each game.
Lebron James led the Lakers with 30 points on 14 of 23 shooting with 11 assist and 10 rebounds. Anthony Davis added 27 points but grabbed only two rebounds and had just one assist. As a team, the Lakers shot 51.8% for the game but just 23.1% (6 of 26) from three-point range and 63.6% (14-22) from the line. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 12 points, and Kyle Kuzma was the only other Laker in double figures with 11 points off the bench.
Davis and James both lead the Lakers averaging 10 rebounds per game during this postseason. Davis also leads the team with 28.5 ppg and 1.3 blocks, followed by James, who is averaging 25.9 points and 8.8 assists per game.
Can Nuggets avoid a third straight 3-1 hole?
Despite being favored only three times in this postseason, the Nuggets have won nine of 17 games and are 11-5-1 against the spread.On Tuesday, the Nuggets shot 54.8% (40-73) from the field, 37.9% (11-29) on threes, and 79.3% (23-29) from the line. Jamal Murray led the way again with 28 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds, while Nikola Jokic scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Big games from Jokic and Murray have become the norm during this postseason, but the contributions from Jerami Grant was a pleasant and much-needed surprise. After shooting for a combined 6 of 15 and 16 total points throughout the first two games, Grant had a personal playoff best 26 points on Tuesday. During the postseason, Grant is averaging 10.8 ppg and shooting 40.3% from the floor. Jamal Murray leads the team with 26.6 points and 6.5 assists per game throughout the playoffs, and Jokic averages 25.2 ppg and 10.2 rebounds.
Notable Trends
- Nuggets are 1-4 in their last 5 Thursday games
- Lakers are 7-2 in their last 9 games on 1-day rest
- Lakers are 5-2 in their last 7 games
