Lakers get Coveted Win Against Denver, now down 3-1 in series

After the Lakers became the first team in 25 years to blow a double-digit lead in their first three games of a playoff series, they were keen on changing the narrative against this Nuggets team.

The Lakers were up by seven at the end of the first quarter. A trend that has been consistent through the first three games of the series.

The second quarter brought consistent scoring and stout defense from the Lake Show. The inside presence of Jaxson Hayes was able to deter a lot of paint scoring while Anthony Davis was off the floor.

When A.D. was able to get back on the court with 8 minutes left in the half, things continued to go the Lakers way. Austin Reeves was able to create space for himself and get to the line, while Anthony Davis remained dominant.

They took a 12-point lead into intermission and the real test would begin. Can the Lakers sustain a double-digit lead, or continue to fall apart down the stretch?

The key to LeBron was if they could keep up their defensive intensity throughout the third quarter. This would prove to be true with their defensive rebounding which led to points in transition. 

Even though Denver was able to make a mini-run midway through the quarter, the Lakers remained tranquil. Their lead was seven with three and a half remaining until the fourth quarter. Every possession is monumental because of their woes after halftime. 

Michael Porter Jr. kept being a thorn in the Lakers side, and was a huge reason the Nuggets found themselves hanging around. With the third quarter finished and the Lakers up by 11, there was just one quarter left to demonstrate they can beat this Denver team, and give them any kind of chance in this series.

There was a sloppy start to the quarter for both teams, but LeBron James was able to set a steady tempo for the Lakers, and give them confidence on offense.  He was also able to extend their lead to 16 on an alley-oop dunk, their largest of the game. 

The Lakers were playing like they had something to prove, especially in the fourth quarter.  James took a charge with four and half minutes remaining sending a message to Denver. They were not going to lose the game and got themselves a huge 119-108 statement win on Sunday night. 

With their first victory against Denver since December 16th of 2022, there is now belief they can beat this Denver team and possibly do it four straight times.

Head coach Darvin Ham commented on how the Lakers were able shake off any signs of a Nuggets comeback.

“We knew they were going to make a couple runs, the biggest thing for us is making it as difficult as possible, they hit some difficult shots…we kept the scoreboard moving as well.”

D’Angelo Russell, who struggled in game 3, got more out of his arsenal. He was able to attack the rim and not live behind the three-point line. Although he found his rhythm from behind the arc, he emphasized the importance of not trying to do too much after a poor performance.

“This isnt a place when you come out and try to dominate the game when you have LeBron and Anthony Davis next to you…Let the game come to me, be aggressive, it was as simple as that.”

He also accredited his teammates for the looks he was able to get. “Everybody was aggressive, everybody pitched in. (Austin Reeves) was huge, (LeBron) and (Anthony Davis), Gabe, Jaxson. It allowed us to have our Imprint on the game.”

The Lakers will look to get the same production out of their role players in game 3 and keep the series alive one win at a time.