The Los Angeles Lakers are back on their home court to face a challenge from the Nuggets. With the series trailing 2-0, the Lakers seem unable to stop the Nuggets' momentum. After the game, the Lakers lost again 105-112, and the Nuggets took the match point with a 3-0 record. In the history of the NBA, no team has been able to come back from 3-0 down. It seems a foregone conclusion, and the Lakers may be swept out of the tournament by the Nuggets again.
Recall that in the Western Conference Finals last season, the Lakers were swept by the Nuggets with a score of 4-0. Now, if they suffer such a fate again, the Lakers' face will be lost. In this game, Davis showed his full strength, shooting 14-of-23 from the field, and cutting down 31 points, 15 rebounds and 3 assists. The Nuggets' five-man encirclement couldn't stop him from scoring. However, even Davis was so brave that it couldn't change the fate of the Lakers' loss.
The 39-year-old LeBron James also gave his best in this game, shooting 12-of-20 from the field and 1-of-6 from three-point range to finish with 26 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists. He scored 59 points in a team-up with Davis, but it all seemed to be to no avail. Russell, the Lakers' third-big man, shot 0-of-7 from the field and didn't score a point, and he was greeted with boos from the fans. Reaves, Dinwiddie and Prince are all they have, but the Nuggets' starting lineup is truly unbeatable.
The Nuggets showed their strength. Jokic had a quasi-triple-double of 24 points, 15 rebounds and 9 assists, Murray had 22 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists, Porter Jr. had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Gordon had 29 points, 15 rebounds and 3 assists, all four of whom scored more than 20 points. Their tacit cooperation and proper execution of tactics made it impossible for the Lakers to find a breakthrough. In this game, the Lakers' defense seemed to be ineffective and unable to limit the Nuggets' scoring.
When the dust settled on the game, James didn't stop, turned his head and disappeared into the arena, without a polite handshake with the Nuggets' opponents. In the audience, the fans shouted "Ham is out" and expressed deep disappointment with the Lakers' performance. This is the first time James has fallen into a desperate situation of 0-3 on the way to the playoffs, and his mood is like the depression before the storm, heavy and complicated.
The Lakers' predicament didn't happen overnight, and they had a lot of problems with the signings and tactics they made at the start of the season. Now, in the face of the strong performance of the Nuggets, the Lakers seem to be powerless. However, the beauty of the game of basketball lies in its unpredictability. Perhaps, in the next game, the Lakers can find a breakthrough and complete the reversal. But regardless, the loss of this game has become a sore point in the history of the Lakers.
For the Nuggets, they showed the strength and style of the defending champions. Their teamwork and player strength are unmatched by other teams. If the Lakers can't find an effective coping strategy, then they will likely be swept out by the Nuggets again. On the basketball court, however, anything can happen. Perhaps, in the next games, the Lakers can show their strength and fighting spirit and bring us more exciting games.