In Game 3 of the series, back at the Staples Center, the Lakers still couldn't escape the fate of losing, once again leading by as many as double digits, and once again being reversed by their opponents. The loss not only put them down 3-0 in the series, but also exposed some of the team's problems. Nearly 40 years old, James still got 26 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists, and Davis faced Jokic and scored a big double-double of 33 points and 15 rebounds.
So where exactly did the Lakers lose?
First of all, Russell, the third star of the team, pulled his hip again. He shot 0-of-7 from the field and didn't score a single point, and when a scorer can't score, it's a side effect on the court. Super god in the regular season and super ghost in the playoffs, Russell once again proved with a very iconic game that his offensive style is too simple, lacking the ability to break through and create damage, and this Achilles' heel is magnified after encountering the opponent's strengthened marking.
The disappointment of the fans in Los Angeles with Russell has reached an unbelievable level, and it is unbelievable that when he made his shot, the Staples Center actually booed him.
Secondly, Hachimura is beaten up by Gordon in direct conversation. Hachimura only had 5 points and 2 rebounds in the game, and he was helpless on the offensive end to support Davis, but his biggest disappointment was the defense. Under his marking, Gordon finished with 29 points and 15 rebounds on 12-of-18 shooting. The stats show that when he's on the floor, the Lakers are losing by 12 points.
In this game, Gordon wore new sneakers from the mysterious Oriental country, maybe the new shoes were so good-looking that Hachimura's eyes were confused. It's really not good, can we pay for a pair?
In the end, Hamm's platoon was beaten by Zhuge Malone. In fact, Ham's tactical arrangement and on-the-spot adaptability have always been questioned by Lakers fans, and it is not surprising that he was beaten by Zhuge Malone in this game. He stuck with a 3-guard and abandoned center Hayes, which directly led to the Lakers falling behind 38-51 in rebounding and 60-70 in interior scoring.
Lakers fans, don't worry, according to previous reports, even if the Lakers stop in the first round, Ham's position is still very solid, in other words, next season, Cephalosporin will continue to take you up.
Counting this game, the Lakers have suffered 11 consecutive defeats in the face of the Nuggets, and you don't have to think about it to know that the mentality of the players has been affected, but I am afraid that in the future, the Lakers players will have to take a detour when they encounter fans wearing Nuggets jerseys on the road, if the fans are still hanging white pork belly, then they have to run directly, this guy is too brutal!
Jokes aside, in the history of the NBA, no team has ever been able to come back from a 3-0 deficit, let alone the Lakers facing the defending champions. So in a sense, the Purple and Gold's journey this season is actually over, and the management can meet early to summarize the problems and think about what to do in the offseason.