Once again, the Los Angeles Lakers held a double-digit lead for the third straight game. It didn't matter for the Denver Nuggets.
Whether at home or on the road, this Denver Nuggets squad always find a way to rally back and win.
Aaron Gordon scored a team-high 29 points, as the defending champion rode a strong third quarter to earn a 112-105 road win over the Lakers and secure a 3-0 series lead in their West opening round showdown.
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 26, 2024
Gordon: 29 PTS | 12-18 FG | 15 REB
Jokic: 24 PTS | 15 REB | 9 AST
Murray: 22 PTS | 5 REB | 9 AST
MPJ: 20 PTS | 10 REB | 3 AST
Denver takes a commanding 3-0 lead! pic.twitter.com/Eddvlk8ykN
Gordon added 14 rebounds with Nikola Jokic adding 24 markers, Jamal Murray chipping in 22, and Michael Porter Jr. contributing 20. The Nuggets came back from an early 12-point hole to move just a win away from sweeping the Lakers for the second straight postseason.
The quartet combined for an massive 84 percent of Denver's total point output. The trio of Jokic, Gordon, and Porter outrebounded the whole Lakers squad alone, 40-37.
Denver didn’t lead until the 10:07 mark of the third frame after a MPJ triple to make it 58-55.
MPJ knocks down the triple to give Denver their first lead of the night! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/9DYqPjUUFd
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 26, 2024
Los Angeles launched a last-gasp rally in the fourth with Austin Reaves making it a seven-point game at 107-100 with 25 seconds left, but Gordon sank clutch free throws down the stretch.
MPJ gets crafty on the TOUGH jumper over AD 😮?💨 pic.twitter.com/ebx5gmGOPB
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 26, 2024
Despite a measly 5-of-28 shooting beyond the arc, the defending champs pounded on the glass, hauling down 14 offensive rebounds and collecting 19 second chance points.
Anthony Davis led the way for the Lakers with 33 points and 15 rebounds, and James added 26 points and nine assists in the LA’s seventh consecutive postseason loss to Denver over the past two years.
Reaves chipped in 22 points in a game where the Lakers actually started on a strong note, zooming into an 8-0 start in the opening frame and led 33-23 after the first 12 minutes of play.
— NBA (@NBA) April 26, 2024
Lakers jump out to an 8-0 lead on TNT pic.twitter.com/RuGzBTc1vp
If the Lakers want to stay alive in this postseason, they have to overcome history and do something that no other team in NBA history has ever done before--come back from a 0-3 playoff deficit.
Teams up 3-0 in a best-of-7 series are 151-0. With their the on the wall, the Lakers would have to win four straight games to accomplish the unthinkable.
Game 4 is Sunday, April 28, (PH time) in Los Angeles.
