Welcome to the Basketball Hangover. We are in the conference finals!
The Los Angeles Lakers are one win away from their first NBA Finals since 2010.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Mark J. Terrill/AP.)
The Los Angeles Lakers got the Denver Nuggets where they want ’em. They are one win away from the NBA Finals.
Then again, maybe the Denver Nuggets got the Los Angeles Lakers where they want ’em. They’re down, 3-1, and we know what they done this year when they’re on a 3-1 deficit.
I don’t even want to say anything because the Nuggets have done that thing. We can say all day that, “Well, they’re not the Jazz or the Clippers!” But I’m pretty sure most of us said some gloomy things about the Nuggets before Game 5.
Either way, the Lakers fixed some things to get this W. People want to make a big deal about the Lakers making some calls to the league about LeBron James NOT going to the line this series. It’s really gamesmanship and every team does this sort of thing. Combine that and the notably more aggressive play on the Lakers and both Anthony Davis and LeBron went to the line 14 times each.
Jamal Murray continued his magical playoff run, though. It was like he was playing HORSE against himself. LeBron James did take on him late in the game and that paid off for L.A. The Nuggets had cut the deficit to one but they never did take back the lead late.
The Denver Nuggets trying to get over the hump. pic.twitter.com/FgTPUbWWTf
— 𝘙𝘦𝘺-𝘙𝘦𝘺 🤞🏾✌🏾 (@TheNoLookPass) September 25, 2020
The big advantage Denver had against the Lakers in Game 3 was rebounding (44-25). The Lakers got them this time with a 41-33 advantage but the biggest deal for the Nuggets was the second chance points. L.A. had 25 compared to Denver’s 6.
Saturday will be the moment of truth. Do the Nuggets have any miracles left? Or are the Lakers going back to the NBA Finals for the first time in a decade?
Bullet Passes
Both teams had some nice balanced scoring as the Lakers had 6 players in double figures while the Nuggets had 5.
Kyle Kuzma had played some decent defense in the bubble but, boy, was he… not great in this game. At the same token, Michael Porter, Jr. is not exactly known for his defensive prowess, either. Maybe Kuzma and Porter should play one-on-one and the first to get a defensive stop wins.
Yes. I know they’re not the same player. But they did have the same ATTRIBUTE on one side of the court.
Dwight Howard started the game and it was his first start of the postseason. He finished with a double-double at 12 points and 11 boards.
I find this funny that he seems to give Nikola Jokic a difficult time and it’s obvious that Denver can’t take the physicality the Lakers give them. Yet the Lakers go away from the physical play and it becomes a game against Denver. What gives, Frank Vogel?
NBA Playoff Scoreboard
Game 4: #1 LAL 114 vs #3 DEN 108 (LAL leads series, 3-1)
Watch This Play
Check out this Jordanesque lay-up by Jamal Murray.
This Jamal Murray layup was incredible 😱 pic.twitter.com/hsDg3rJyJ0
— ESPN (@espn) September 25, 2020
Incredible move.
Shifting to the Eastern Conference where another team is one win away from the NBA Finals.
Please take care of yourselves. Also, we knew it was going to happen but we’re so sorry the system in place failed you, Breonna Taylor.
Rey-Rey is on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
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