On April 30, Beijing time, the Lakers and the Nuggets will usher in the fifth game, and the Nuggets lead 3-1 in the first four games. Now the Nuggets are sitting at home against the Lakers and trying to end the series. The two sides started the furnace and nothing changed. The Lakers are still Russell, Reaves, James, Hachimura and Bush, and the Nuggets are Murray, Pope, Porter, Gordon and Jokic. Murray is playing in G5 with an injury, and Vanderbilt is also back in the lineup and could come off the bench.
A day earlier, Murray's form had been listed as doubtful, as he had been covered with a thick bandage on his left calf before returning to the locker room after only warming up for about 5-6 minutes, before Woj reported that Murray was planning to play in the G5 game. The Nuggets have officially confirmed that both Murray and Reggie will play in this game, with Kankar continuing to be sidelined.
There is also good news from the Lakers' side, with James, Bush, Wood and Vanderbilt all available for this game. Among them, Wood was released in the last game, but did not enter the rotation, and Vanderbilt was released today, as for whether he will actually return to the court, it depends on Hamm's lineup.
In the first four games, neither side changed the starting lineup, and the key to the game was the scramble on the inside and the competition in the third quarter. Most of the three games the Lakers lost control of the interior and repeatedly collapsed in the third quarter, while the G4 they won had outstanding interior performance, with 25 points and 23 rebounds, and they did not have the "Lake Triple Collapse" situation again.
Like G4, it's a do-or-die battle for the Lakers. A loss would call an end to their 2023-24 season, and once they can win this game, the series aggregate will be 2-3 and they will still have a chance to continue battling the Nuggets. Thick eyebrows were full of confidence in the Lakers before the game, and he believes the team is ready for G5.