In the first quarter of this game, the Lakers started with strong offensive firepower. Thick eyebrows easily broke through dunks many times to score, and James led the team to an 8-0 climax with a tomahawk after the steal. However, Porter's three-pointer stopped the bleeding for the Nuggets in time, and the Lakers' lead began to be challenged.
In the face of Jokic's defense, the thick eyebrows continued to launch strong attacks, and James broke through all the way to score on the counterattack, and the Lakers gradually widened the difference. However, midway through the game, Jokic scored for the Nuggets by eating cakes and making fouls, and assisted Gordon for a dunk. Fortunately, Hachimura responded with a three-pointer in time, and James felt hot and continued to score for the Lakers. At the end of the quarter, Dinwiddie and Reaves took turns to make kills and stabilize the Lakers. At the end of the first quarter, the Lakers led the Nuggets 33-23.
Entering the second quarter, Reaves and Dinwiddie took turns scoring singles, while Murray led the Nuggets to the score. Although Reaves looked a little struggling to defend Murray, Bushy stepped up on the offensive end and supported the Lakers' offensive firepower. After James returned, he continued to use his back to score, but Murray and Porter scored on consecutive dry jumpers, and Jokic also dunked. At the end of the quarter, James and Reaves scored back-to-back points, and the Lakers led the Nuggets 53-49 at halftime. James contributed 14 points and four assists in the first half, Bushy had 16 points and seven rebounds, Reaves scored 10 points, and Russell didn't score a point.
At the start of the third quarter, Murray scored on a layup and Porter hit a three-pointer to give the Nuggets an easy lead. In the face of the Nuggets' counterattack, thick eyebrows continued to score strongly, but Gordon kept eating cakes and scored, and Murray hit a three-pointer in a big open position, and the Nuggets quickly opened a 10-point gap. In the second half, James and Thick Eyebrows led the team to chase points, but Reggie's three-pointer and Jokic's mid-range shot response made it difficult for the Lakers to catch up. At the end of the third quarter, the Nuggets led the Lakers 83-75. The Lakers were once again on the back foot, powerless to resist the Nuggets' offense.
Entering the fourth quarter of the final battle, Porter and Watson scored consecutive dry jump shots, thick eyebrows looked isolated under the basket, and James still failed to return to the backcourt in time. Porter scored with an easy dunk, Murray made a kill, and James made another inexplicable dribble error out of bounds, and then complained. Although James hit a three-pointer in the middle of the period, Porter and Jokic scored back-to-back points to seal the win. Since then, the game has lost its suspense, even though the Lakers players are struggling to chase points. In the end, the Nuggets defeated the Lakers again 112-105, leading 3-0 and successfully getting the first round of the playoffs series!
Although James scored 26 points on 12-of-20 shooting in this game, he encountered a huge challenge on the defensive end. Due to Russell and Reaves' lack of defense, James had to assist the defense frequently, but it also made it difficult for him to take care of his opponent Gordon. Gordon played well in the game, scoring easily by cutting to the basket to make James miss out. Despite his excellent performances on both ends of the floor, Russell's form has been sluggish. In the second half, he looked hesitant even in the face of a big open space, with a clear lack of confidence. The loss was a heavy blow to the Lakers, who also became the first team to fall behind 3-0 in the first round of the playoffs, and the Lakers seemed to have completely lost hope of qualifying.
It is worth mentioning that Russell played 24 minutes, but his performance was a big disappointment. He shot seven times, none of which were hit, and six three-pointers were shot but all of them were ironed. At the end of the game, he scored zero points and contributed only 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. At the same time, he also made 1 turnover, with a plus/minus of -6!
Russell's sluggish performance not only disappointed the fans, but also put the team in a difficult situation. As a member of the team, he should have stepped up and contributed to the team at a crucial moment. During the pause, Russell was alone eating, not participating in the team's tactical discussions. This behavior may reflect his attitude or mindset towards the game, or it may suggest that he has some problems with communication and collaboration within the team. However, as a professional player, his move has undoubtedly attracted attention and discussion from the outside world. However, his performances have raised questions about his professional attitude and competitive form.
However, in the end, Russell only made 7 shots in this game, which is not even as good as Prince and Dinwiddie on the bench, and it is obviously unfair to let him take the blame. However, should the Lakers management and James also think about why the point guard has such a difficult living environment for the Lakers from Wei Shao to Russell? Does James, as a forward, dominate the ball for a long time, let the point guard fall into a self-contradiction on the court? In addition, does Ham's performance deserve to coach a playoff-level team?
In today's game, Bushy managed to saddle Jokic with two fouls in just four minutes of the first quarter, which should have been the best opportunity for the Lakers to continue to pressure and limit Jokic. However, it is disappointing that Ham failed to continue to take advantage of this advantage and let Jokic continue to play on the court, which is deeply annoying and remorseful.
Mike Malone kept Jokic, who had been saddled with two fouls, on the court, which was undoubtedly a merciless mockery of Coach Ham's coaching ability. In such a crucial series, the Lakers had a great opportunity to control Jokic's playing time and limit his play, which was the key to their victory, but they gave up! As long as the Lakers can't effectively control Jokic's playing time, then even if they lead by 15 points in the first half, they will still be lost.
What's even more distressing is that the Lakers failed to attack Jokic's weakness at critical moments, resulting in another loss in the G3 game that was expected to be won. The Lakers spend huge sums of money every year to build a luxury roster, but instead choose the cheapest coach in the league. It's like spending a lot of money to buy a sharp knife, but you're reluctant to spend a few small dollars to sharpen it. Coach Ham clearly doesn't have what it takes to coach a roster as strong as the Lakers, and his departure could be a key step in the Lakers' resurgence.