Playoffs Day 31 As Denver Stays Alive! 9.22.20
It’s Day 31 of the NBA Playoffs and we have Game 3 of the WCF between the Lakers and Nuggets.
It’s Day 31 of the NBA Playoffs and we have Game 3 of the WCF between the Lakers and Nuggets.
LA Lakers
The Lakers lost Game 3 against the Nuggets. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Lakers stole Game 2 from the Nuggets and now held a commanding 2-0 series lead. With a Game 3 win, the series would be over. Lebron and AD would need to dominate again in order for LA to win. Yeah, that didn’t really happen. The Lakers came out flat and the Nuggets took advantage. The Lakers trailed by as many as 18 in the first half, and trailed by 10 at halftime. They cut the lead to single digits in the 3rd, but the Nuggets surged and led by 18 after 3 quarters. But the Lakers refused to die. They cut the lead to 3 with with 5:26 left. They had all the momentum and a comeback win seemed inevitable. But the Lakers collapsed after this. They scored just 6 points in the final 5:26 of the game and let Jamal Murray hit a couple of big shots late. LA lost 114-106 and they lead 2-1 in this series.
Offensively the Lakers were ok as they shot 51% from the field and 23% from 3. LA was also 14/22 from the free throw line. The Lakers turned it over 16 times. LA also had 62 points in the paint.
Defensively the Lakers were poor as Denver shot 55% from the field and 38% from 3. Denver was also 23/29 from the free throw line. The Lakers forced 18 turnovers. LA also allowed 46 points down low.
Lebron James had 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Anthony Davis had 27 points. KCP had 12 points and Kyle Kuzma added 11 points off the bench.
Conclusion
This was the Lakers game. They had it right in their hands. Even with them playing absolutely terrible in the first half, they had a chance to win this game. But the Lakers had far too many letdowns in this game. They played a bad 36 minutes, and when they had all the momentum, they gave it all up. The Lakers should be disappointed that they lost this game and gave Denver some life. Lets see if the Lakers can go up 3-1 in Game 4.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets won Game 3 against the Lakers. Here is what I thought about their performance.
The Nuggets blew their prime opportunity to tie this series. But they allowed the Lakers to take a 2-0 series lead. Now this game was must-win for Denver otherwise their season would be over. They needed to play with a sense of urgency. And they did that. They played a great 1st half as their offense was clicking. They led by 10 at halftime. And after the Lakers cut the lead to start the 3rd, the Nuggets responded. They led by 18 at the end of the 3rd and the game was over. Or not. The Nuggets played very sloppy and continually lost the ball and gave up easy scores for LA. The Nuggets had their lead trimmed to 3 with 5:26 left. But they didn’t let it slip all the way. Jamal Murray hit some big shots down the stretch and the Nuggets won 114-106. The Nuggets trail 1-2 in this series.
Offensively the Nuggets were great as they shot 55% from the field and 38% from 3. Denver was also 23/29 from the free throw line. The Nuggets turned it over 18 times. The Nuggets also had 46 points down low.
Defensively the Nuggets were ok as LA shot 51% from the field and 23% from 3. LA was also 14/22 from the free throw line. The Nuggets forced 16 turnovers. Denver allowed 62 points down low.
Jamal Murray had 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 12 assists. Jerami Grant had 26 points. Nikola Jokic added 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. Monte Morris had 14 points off the bench as well.
Conclusion
The Nuggets needed a win, and they got it. No matter how, they needed this game. Their urgency showed right away as they dominated the first 3 quarters. In the 4th they collapsed, but not all the way. Give credit to Denver, their defense was superb for long stretches of this game. Jamal Murray was great and Jerami Grant was that extra punch that they really needed. Now the Nuggets have some life in this series and lets see if they can carry this and tie the series up in Game 4.
What Are Your Thoughts From Day 31? Leave A Comment Down Below
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