The teams have alternated wins and losses for the first three games of the series. And the Denver Nuggets find themselves in a situation where they are in dire need of a win. LA is way too good to blow a 3-1 lead like the Jazz managed to do, so they will have to get it done to even things up.
They have a great group, led by Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, with the supporting cast stepping up as needed. Though, Jerami Grant’s shooting down the stretch cost Denver a game they had mostly been in control of. They allowed the Clippers to get hot at the worst possible time, their undersized foes also limiting them on the other end.
LA, on the other hand, has but one goal this year, and that’s to win the title. They will settle for nothing less than a title, and so getting by the Nuggets is a must for them. With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on your team, things are certainly a little easier. They both hope to shine again in Game 3.
ODDS:
The Clippers are a 7.5-point favorites. The over/under is set at 220.
Clippers Look for Commanding 3-1 Lead
A win on Wednesday would go a long way towards securing a trip to the Finals for the Clippers. They have long struggled to get past round two. They nearly got there during the Chris Paul era, but blew a massive lead to the Rockets backups and wound up losing the series in seven games. You never know who will step up.
And that’s why they have to come to play. Leonard has been unstoppable in two of three games, getting to his spots and making the defense pay. George has been making his shots, while the other guys have provided great shooting and defensive efforts.
Patrick Beverley has been doing a lot of talking, but his impact has been huge in this series. Timely baskets and key defensive stops. They missed him against Dallas.
Denver Tries to Even Things Up
They have no choice but to win this game. Jokic and Murray will again have to lay it on the line. And when Jokic gets doubled, and the ball gets to Grant, he’ll need to make better decisions. As valuable as he is, he cannot be taking all the clutch shots, but should be trying to rotate the ball a bit more.
Michael Porter Jr. was on a roll in the last game, and they’ll need him to keep it up. Gary Harris finally started to make shots, making him invaluable. But Murray will need to fight through his tough matchups and step up.
Murray is the one guy who has not been carrying his weight. George and Leonard are tough matchups.
A Close Game 4
Denver will keep things interesting once again. So make sure you bet on them as underdogs.
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