Let Game 4 be a lesson for all. Nobody beats LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 12 times in a row.
For the first time since December 16, 2022, the Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets, winning 119-108 on Saturday to avoid first-round elimination. They still remain led 3-1, the series returning to Denver.
Game 5 is scheduled for Monday at 10 p.m. ET (TNT).
The Lakers also made a breakthrough simply by taking a double-digit lead and not losing. Their three losses in the series so far had seen them go up by at least 10 in the first half, lead at halftime, then get completely torn apart in the third quarter before losing.
They lost by as many as 11 and just two points, but all three were completely demoralized against an opponent that swept them in the Western Conference Finals last season.
How the Lakers finally held on against the Nuggets
You couldn’t blame anyone for expecting the worst when the Lakers’ lead grew to 10 in the second quarter or they went into halftime with a 13-point lead. The third quarter was still approaching.
And at the end of the third quarter, the Lakers had indeed given ground to Denver. Two points, to be exact. They managed to get it down to 15 early in the fourth quarter and didn’t look back, although there might have been a look when the Nuggets cut it to seven with 85 seconds left. play. The Crypto.com Arena crowd was at least happy to avoid the sweep.
The difference was especially felt in defense. Nikola Jokić got his with 33 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists while Michael Porter Jr. (27 points) made his shots, but a persistent, physical effort forced an off night for the rest of the Nuggets rotation . Jamal Murray had 22 points, but was horrible with an inefficient 9 of 23 shooting. Aaron Gordon, the star of Game 3, had just seven points and three rebounds. The Nuggets bench had five points.
The Lakers committed the fewest fouls in the NBA during the regular season, but they were clearly willing to risk a whistle if it meant preventing easy looks in the paint. This allowed Denver to hold a 25-14 advantage on free throw attempts before starting to foul in garbage time, a rarity for a Lakers opponent. It was worth making the Nuggets uncomfortable.
With Anthony Davis once again looking like one of the best two-way players in the NBA, Los Angeles outscored the Nuggets 72-52 in the paint.
The highlight of the game, however, came courtesy of James, when he made an incredible chase block of Murray in the third quarter. The play was reminiscent of his legendary play in the 2016 NBA Finals, so much so that ESPN play-by-play chief Dave Pasch told his color commentator, former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers , to cover your eyes.
Even in victory, however, there was still an indication of trouble on the horizon for the Lakers. When a play was called against James, he strongly urged Lakers head coach Darvin Ham to challenge the play. Ham did not, and James was so visibly furious that he forgot to play defense, give Denver an easy basket.
Given that Davis has also expressed frustration with Ham in this series, you can’t imagine Ham’s seat being any less hot after Saturday.
Lakers situation still dire, but not impossible
That’s the problem with putting everything together to avoid a sweep. History says it won’t matter, because no team has ever come back from 3-0 down. The Nuggets are talented and well-coached enough that you have to imagine they’ll be able to adapt to what the Lakers did and put them aside next week.
And yet, the Lakers were not just any team down 3-0. It’s fun for opposing fans to make fun of them for blowing three straight double-digit leads, but you have to be pretty good to go up 10 points on the Nuggets. The ingredients for a victory were present in every game, the only difference was that the Lakers kept them together on Saturday.
No team has ever come back from a 3-0 loss, but a few have erased a 3-1 lead and that’s what matters now. Especially when James gives you a reason to remember the 2016 final.
