The Denver Nuggets are in pain. The game-winner from Anthony Davis gave the Lakers an iconic win, and the 2-0 series lead is a significant blow to their hopes of reaching the Finals. It’s not entirely said and done yet, but as the teams meet for game 3 in Orlando, the Lakers are in control.
Nikola Jokic got hot down the stretch and could not make a mistake. PJ Dozier was playing fantastic defense to make us forget his poor free-throw misses and Jamal Murray blocked Danny Green with 2.1 on the clock. They left too much time, though, when Jokic scored with 20 seconds to play.
The Lakers got enough chances, and finally, Davis put home the shot at the horn. The Lakers were tested all through the second game, and still, they came out on top.
This was a great win for them, and it puts them a step closer to the NBA Finals. They just won’t ever lose a game when wearing the Mamba jerseys, will they?
ODDS:
The Lakers are 6.5-point favorites in Game 3. The over/under is set at 213.5.
Lakers Look for 3-0 Lead
A win will all but cement LA’s premiere team a spot in the NBA Finals. Up 2-0, as is thanks to late-game heroics, they are so much closer.
They have lost only two games in the postseason, and both were “home” games. They have gone undefeated serving as the road team inside the bubble, a fact that shouldn’t mean too much for today’s game.
The keys are the same as always for LA to come out as the winner. A heavy dose of LeBron James taking the game over in stretches, feeding Davis inside, and spreading the ball around and getting looks for everybody. Alex Caruso and Rajon Rondo don’t need to score a lot to impact the game, but it’s a big plus when they can hit the J.
If they get back to their style of play in Game 1 and forget about the first 47:58 of Game 2, they will be fine.
Nuggets Looking for First Win
Being down 0-2 in the conference finals cannot be fun, especially if it’s against a team with James and Davis on it. Life for them right now is not so good, and it will need to change rapidly. They have to forget about the buzzer-beater loss and move forward.
There a few things they will need to address within the rotation. Gary Harris needs to redeem himself for a poor performance, and PJ Dozier has to contribute in the rotation. He played the entire fourth quarter. Michael Porter Jr. should have been in to close out Game 2, but they didn’t lose because of this decision.
Most importantly, can Murray play all 48 minutes? They were +16 in his 44 minutes last time out. Meaning they were -18 in his four minutes off the floor.
Nuggets Keep it Close Again
Denver isn’t getting blown out. They’ll keep things interesting, which is bad news for the Lakers.
Free Play: DEN +6.5
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