Nuggets on brink of NBA Finals with 119-108 win over Lakers in Game 3

LOS ANGELES
(AP) — Jamal Murray scored 37 factors, Nikola Jokic added 24 factors
and eight assists, and the Denver Nuggets rolled to a 3-0 lead in
the Western Convention finals with a 119-108 victory over the Los
Angeles Lakers on Saturday evening.

Kentavious
Caldwell-Pope scored 12 of his 17 factors in the second half towards
his former group for the top-seeded Nuggets, who’ve by no means been
this near the NBA Finals in 47 years in the league.

Denver blew
an enormous early lead in Game 3, however made a decisive 13-0 run in the
fourth quarter to snap the Lakers’ nine-game house profitable streak
since March 26, together with seven straight victories because the
common season ended.

No group has
rallied from a 3-0 playoff collection deficit in NBA historical past. Game 4 is
Monday evening in Los Angeles.

Anthony
Davis had 28 factors and 18 rebounds for the seventh-seeded Lakers,
who hadn’t misplaced three straight video games since early February. Los
Angeles’ extended, determined surge ever because the commerce deadline
has lastly run out of steam towards the powerhouse Nuggets, who
have received 5 consecutive playoff video games.

LeBron
James had 23 factors, 12 assists and 7 rebounds for Los Angeles,
hitting three 3-pointers after beginning the collection 0 for 13 from
distance. Austin Reaves added 23 factors and 7 rebounds, however Rui
Hachimura was the one different Lakers scorer to crack double figures
with 13 factors.

Jokic’s
streak of 4 consecutive triple-doubles ended in a reasonably quiet
recreation for the two-time MVP. However Murray scored 17 factors in a dynamic
first quarter following his 23-point fourth quarter two nights in the past,
and he had 30 factors by halftime of Game 3.

Bruce Brown
scored 15 factors and hit a key 3-pointer down the stretch for the
Nuggets earlier than Jokic all however iced it on a 3-pointer with 3:17 to
play.

The Lakers’
passionate followers turned out in drive for the 17-time champion
franchise’s first convention finals video games at house since 2010, the
12 months of their final title. Los Angeles tried desperately to get again
in the collection, with James enjoying 43 minutes after spraining his
left ankle in Game 2 on prime of his already sore proper foot.

However the
Nuggets’ flight to the coast didn’t cool off Murray in the
slightest: After lighting up the Lakers to shut Game 2, the
Canadian guard made his first 5 pictures in Game 3 and poured in 17
factors in the primary quarter — even whereas Jokic went scoreless for
the second straight quarter.

Murray’s
fourth 3-pointer of the evening made him 11 of 13 from the sector for
26 factors halfway via the second quarter, scoring greater than half
of Denver’s factors at an unbelievable tempo. Reaves and Davis stored
the Lakers in it, with Reaves racking up 15 factors, three assists
and three rebounds in the second quarter alone.

Hachimura’s
3-pointer early in the fourth gave the Lakers their first lead
because the opening minutes, however the Nuggets took cost once more in a
rally highlighted by Brown’s 3-pointer with 7:02 to play, after
which he taunted the Lakers’ bench with Los Angeles’ personal “Freeze”
3-point celebration.

D’Angelo
Russell had one other tough recreation for the Lakers, scoring three factors
on 1-of-8 taking pictures in 20 minutes. Russell was the Lakers’ largest
addition in their commerce deadline transformation, however the level
guard has simply 21 factors in this three-game collection.

TIP-INS

Nuggets:
Aaron Gordon had seven factors in 32 minutes. … Michael Porter Jr.
had 14 factors and 10 rebounds, capped by a 3-pointer in the ultimate
90 seconds.

Lakers:
Backup C Mo Bamba missed his ninth consecutive recreation with a sore
left ankle. The group is hopeful Bamba can play sooner or later in
this collection. … Followers close to courtside included Jack Nicholson, Eddie
Murphy, Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal, Andy Garcia, Dyan
Cannon, Ken Jeong, Joel McHale, LA Kings captain Anze Kopitar and
defenseman Drew Doughty, and Khalil Mack, Derwin James and
Sebastian Joseph-Day from the Los Angeles Chargers’ protection.

(*3*)