Lakers vs. Nuggets
Minnesota's Timberwolves and Russia's Thunder swept their opponents 4-0 and successfully advanced to the second-round series. And in the following period, they got a great rest and waited quietly for the second-round opponent to be born. During this period, the Denver Nuggets are undoubtedly the most likely team to become the third team in the West to advance to the second round. They have now managed to tie the series to 3-1 and have taken the initiative to take the absolute lead, and it is only a matter of time before they advance.
However, their opponents, the Los Angeles Lakers, although they basically lost the possibility of qualifying, did not choose to give up at all, and were bound to complete the feat of letting three chase four in the series. In the previous G4 battle, they successfully pulled one back with the starting four players scoring more than 20 points. Although the Lakers showed tenacity, they still allowed the Nuggets to win the final victory with a total score of 108-106 and advance to the second round series with a score of 4-1.
The specific results
At the beginning of the first quarter of the game, the Nuggets, who were fighting at home, maintained their hot state, thus gaining the initiative to lead the score. Jokic played 12 minutes in the first quarter, shooting 2-of-3 from the field and delivering 4 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists, while Murray also had 12 points and 1 steal, helping the team to a 28-24 score and a four-point lead. And entering the second quarter of the matchup, the Lakers can also launch a strong counterattack. James stepped up, shooting 3-of-6 from the field, 1-of-1 from the free throw line, and delivered 8 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal, and thick eyebrows also had 8 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist, helping the team to play a 29-22 score and achieve a 3-point comeback.
Yibian fought again, and the Nuggets, who lost the initiative in the score lead, did not choose to compromise. In the third quarter of the game, Jokic shot 5-of-8 and delivered 11 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, and Porter Jr. also contributed 12 points and 1 rebound, playing a 31-26 score in one fell swoop and regaining a two-point lead. In the final quarter of the decisive victory, the Nuggets were also able to play a 28-28 score with the help of Murray's key 12 points, 1 rebound and 4 assists, and won the final victory with a total score of 108-106.
epilogue
Looking back at the data of the game, although only 3 players on the Nuggets side scored in double figures, the efficiency was very impressive. During this period, Jokic played 35.5 minutes, shot 9-of-15, and delivered a quasi-triple-double of 19 points, 16 rebounds and 8 assists, once again playing the value of a modern center. And Murray also has a big heart, not only delivered 12 points and 4 assists in the final quarter, but also played the style of the king of the final quarter, and also contributed 23 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists in the whole game. In addition, Porter Jr. shot 7-of-11 in this game and also delivered 23 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist.
On the other hand, on the Lakers' side, which lost away and ended the season early, although the five players who started the game all contributed double-digit points, they were still a little weak in dealing with details. James played 36 minutes and delivered 24 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists, while Davis shot 8-of-11 from the field and also handed in 17 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists. Russell only delivered 10 points, 1 rebound and 4 assists, Reaves had 10 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, and Hachimura shot 6-of-14 and contributed 15 points.