The first half was for the Lakers, and the second half was for the Nuggets. 3 games in a row, almost the same script.
I thought that G2 would be able to stalemate with the Nuggets at home until the last second, and the Lakers who returned to their home court would be able to pull back a game. Unexpectedly, the Lakers who returned to their home court played even more defeated. There is a very important reason why the G2 Lakers can hold on to the Nuggets to the end, and that is Russell is open. Russell shot 7 of 11 from G2 three-point range, giving the Lakers a lot of firepower. But G3 Russell is not good again, and it is very bad. In the whole game, Russell shot 0 of 7 and did not score a point.
But Russell couldn't shoot a three-pointer, and the Lakers could only rely on Zhan Mei to solve it. But Zhan Mei's hard solution is very tiring, and it is impossible to solve it all over the game. In the whole game, Brother Thick Mei played 43 minutes, shooting 14 of 23, 5 of 7 free throws, and got 33 points, 15 rebounds and 3 assists. In the 3 games with the Nuggets, Brother Thick Mei can be said to have given everything he had, and he played well in every game. This season's thick eyebrows are both healthy and efficient, and can be said to be the strongest thick eyebrows after the park, and he is infinitely close to that park eyebrow. But James is a lot older, and the Lakers' role players are a lot worse.
In the 2020 series with the Nuggets, the Lakers can also let Howard go to Jokic to reduce the burden on the thick eyebrows. But now, the Lakers don't have Howard anymore. In 2020, the Lakers still have Rondo to share the organizational pressure of James, but now the Lakers can only rely on Reaves and Russell. Not to mention Pope, Caruso, Danny Green, Kuzma and others who can defend and have a shooting line. This series, and Bebop. But Pope isn't Lakers, he's on the other side.
James played 42 minutes and finished with 26 points, six rebounds and nine assists on 12-of-20 shooting, 1-of-6 three-pointers and 1-of-2 free throws. In the third quarter, James was visibly tired and could make low-level mistakes on the dribble. James's tiredness is not only physical, but also psychological. For three consecutive games, the Lakers opened with all their best to build a lead, and the Nuggets only needed to catch up. It's hard for the Lakers to score 2 points, while the Nuggets can score as long as they want to.
In this game, Jokic shot 9 of 13 and efficiently scored 23 points, 15 rebounds and 9 assists. Murray finished with 22 points, five rebounds and nine assists on 8-of-21 shooting, 1-of-6 three-pointers and 5-of-6 free throws. Jokic and Murray's play, the Lakers are actually predictable. But Gordon and Porter Jr. caught the Lakers by surprise. Gordon was everywhere, shooting 12-of-18 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line for 29 points, 15 rebounds and three assists, including five frontcourt rebounds. In the second and third quarters, it was precisely by Gordon's sudden outburst that the Nuggets were able to go from falling behind to overtaking in one fell swoop.
Expensive plus expensive, when neither team of role players was able to shoot the ball in, Porter Jr. stepped up. 8-of-16 shooting, 2-of-6 three-pointers, 2-of-2 free throws, Porter Jr. played 35 minutes and finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists. If you watch the game, you will know how desperate Porter Jr.'s goal made the Lakers. Porter Jr.'s goals are almost always pulled by people, like Durant possessed. If Gordon's goals are based on physical strength, then Porter Jr.'s goals are based on physical height. Tall and long-armed, and a dry-pull shooting style. The Lakers' defenders can hardly interfere with him, and whether they can score or not depends on his hand.
In fact, G2 James stole Murray and then dunked quickly, almost sealing the victory for the Lakers. It was by relying on Porter Jr.'s unreasonable three-point chase that the Nuggets were able to turn defeat into victory. Don't forget, Porter Jr. is also a player with a five-year contract with a maximum salary of 172 million. If it weren't for the injury, Porter Jr. would have had a chance to compete for the top pick in that year's draft.
In fact, the Lakers played great in all three games, especially the second game. But the Nuggets just have a way to get the score back and win. Before the playoffs began, many people were optimistic that the Celtics would win the championship. But in the playoffs so far, the most championship-looking is undoubtedly the Nuggets. The Lakers fell with a bang, and the Nuggets, who led 3-0 by a big score, advanced to the next round and lost suspense. The Nuggets' opponent in the next round will be between the Timberwolves and the Suns.