Let's hope Game 4 is a lesson for everyone. No one has surpassed LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers with 12 straight.
The Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets on Saturday for the first time since Dec. 16, 2022, winning 119-108 and avoiding elimination in the first round. They are still up 3-1 and the series goes back to Denver.
Game 5 is scheduled for Monday at 10pm ET (TNT).
The Lakers also made strides simply by building a double-digit lead and not losing. In each of their previous three losses in the series, they led by at least 10 points in the first half and led at halftime, only to completely fall behind in the third quarter.
They lost by as many as 11 points and by as little as two points, but all three were completely dejected against the opponent they dominated in last season's Western Conference Finals.
How the Lakers finally came together against the Nuggets
No one could be blamed for expecting the worst when the Lakers' lead reached 10 points in the second quarter, or when they went into halftime down by 13 points. The third quarter was still approaching.
And as the third quarter ended, the Lakers did concede to Denver. Two points to be exact. They managed to get back up to 15 points early in the fourth quarter and never looked back, although there may have been a glimpse when the Nuggets cut it to seven points with 85 seconds left. The Crypto.com Arena crowd was happy to at least avoid a sweep.
The difference was mainly felt on the defensive side. Nikola Jokic had 33 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists, and Michael Porter Jr. (27 points) made the shots, but the rest of the Nuggets' rotation was forced off due to their physicality and tenacity. Jamal Murray scored 22 points, but was inefficient on 9-of-23 shooting and was terrible overall. Game 3 star Aaron Gordon had just 7 points and 3 rebounds. The Nuggets bench scored a total of five points.
The Lakers committed the fewest fouls in the NBA during the regular season, but they're clearly willing to risk the whistle if it means stopping easy looks in the paint. Ta. As a result, Denver held a 25-14 advantage in free throw attempts before fouls started in garbage time, which was unusual for a Lakers opponent. It was worth making the Nuggets uncomfortable.
Los Angeles outscored the Nuggets 72-52 in the paint as Anthony Davis once again looked like one of the NBA's best two-way players.
But the highlight of the game came courtesy of James, who made an incredible pursuit block on Murray in the third quarter. The play was so reminiscent of his legendary play in the 2016 NBA Finals that ESPN play-by-play commentator Dave Pash asked color commentator former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers He even told him to cover his eyes.
But even with a win, there were signs that the Lakers still had trouble ahead. When James' play was called out of bounds, he loudly urged Lakers head coach Dervin Ham to object to the play. Ham didn't, and James was visibly enraged and forgot to play defense. Give Denver an easy basket.
Given that Davis has also expressed his displeasure with Hamm this series, it's hard to imagine Hamm's seat not being as hot after Saturday.
The Lakers' situation remains dire, but not impossible.
That's the problem of putting everything together to avoid sweeps. History tells us that no team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit, so it doesn't matter. The Nuggets are talented and well-coached, so you have to imagine they'll be able to adapt to what the Lakers did and take them out next week.
Still, the Lakers weren't just a losing team at 3-0. It's fun to laugh at opposing fans who led by double digits for three games in a row, but it takes a lot of skill for the Nuggets to extend a 10-point lead. The ingredients for a win were there in every game, but the only difference was that the Lakers actually put their game together on Saturday.
No team has bounced back from a 3-0 deficit, but there have been some teams that have erased 3-1 leads, and that's what matters right now. Especially when James gave us a reason to remember the 2016 Finals.
