The NBA playoffs are in full swing, and at 8:30 a.m. Beijing time on April 21, the Lakers will challenge the Nuggets away under the leadership of James, which has attracted the attention of many fans. In the regular season, the two sides have met three times, with the Lakers failing to manage a single victory. In this matchup, the Nuggets are like beasts out of the cage, and the Lakers show a strong fighting spirit
In the regular season, the Nuggets sat in second place in the Western Conference with a 57-25 record, a 69% winning rate, and the team averaged 29.3 assists and 44.3 rebounds per game, showing strong team strength. They rely on a system built by core players such as Jokic, Murray, Porter and Gordon, and can contribute 114.6 points per game, shooting 49% from the field, and are full of offensive firepower. In particular, Jokic plays an obvious role as the fulcrum of the team, he can be inside and outside, offensive and defensive, extremely powerful, and has made great contributions to the victory of the Nuggets. On the defensive end, the Nuggets also performed well, conceding only 109.8 points per game, and the defense was quite strong. Facing the Lakers in this game, the Nuggets will go all out to test the Lakers' offensive strength. The Lakers will need to be at their best to compete with the Nuggets for this victory.
With a 47-35 record and a 57% win rate in the regular season, the Lakers successfully eliminated the Pelicans through the excellent performance of the play-off triumvirate and ranked seventh in the Western Conference. James's dominance is still undiminished, averaging 25.7 points per game in the regular season, mighty and domineering, and the core system composed of thick eyebrows and Russell is averaging 117.7 points per game, with a shooting rate of 49%, showing strong offensive firepower. However, the Lakers have some flaws on the defensive end, conceding an average of 117.7 points per game, which has undoubtedly become a major concern for them. Facing the challenge of the Nuggets in this game, the Lakers' ability to resist the game will be severely tested. They will need to maintain offensive firepower while improving their consistency on the defensive end in order to compete with the Nuggets.
In-depth analysis of this game: In the regular season, the Lakers averaged 3.1 more points per game than the Nuggets in terms of scoring, but conceded 7.9 more points on the defensive end, resulting in an average of 4.8 points per game compared to the opponent, showing that their defensive system lacks sufficient deterrence. In this campaign, in the face of the strong Nuggets, the Lakers will definitely strengthen their blocking capabilities, especially through the trap tactics, trying to cut off the connection between Jokic and Murray, the two core players, in order to curb the offensive firepower of the Nuggets. In this matchup, the Nuggets are like beasts out of the cage, showing a strong desire to win, while the Lakers are full of murderous face and vow to fight with all their might. On the inside, the two sides will engage in hand-to-hand combat for control under the basket, while on the outside, every inch of land will be the focus of contention. Therefore, it is highly likely that the scores of the two sides will alternate in this game, and the game will be full of suspense and variables. However, judging from the overall strength and recent performance, the Nuggets seem to have the upper hand, and the probability of an upset for the Lakers is low. (This article is for pre-match analysis only)