The Denver Nuggets won another thrilling matchup in Game 2 of their Western Conference Finals series vs. the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers looked like they had control for most of the contest, but an electrifying fourth quarter from the Nuggets propelled them to a 2-0 lead. Their fourth quarter comeback was spearheaded by Jamal Murray, who struggled for the first three quarters prior. Murray finished the game with 37 points on 11/24 shooting, including a very respectable 6/14 from beyond the arc. He was of course aided by the ever-consistent Nikola Jokic, who posted another triple-double with 23 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists. Some clutch shooting from Michael Porter Jr. also paid dividends, as he went 4/7 from the 3-point line on his way to 16 points. The Nuggets now travel to Los Angeles for Game 3 and a chance to take a 3-0 lead over the Lakers.

It is always the home team's job to protect their home court in the playoffs, so the Nuggets have to be happy with how they fared in the first two games. They were not perfect by any means, but successfully being up 2-0 in the series is all they can ask for. For Game 3 against the Lakers, the pressure will all be on the opposite sidelines, although taking a 3-0 lead would be huge for the Nuggets as well. It would essentially seal a victory in the series and a spot in the NBA Finals, the first in the history of their franchise. It would be a huge milestone for Denver, one that would cement Nikola Jokic and company in Denver lore forever. Coming into the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference definitely gave them NBA Finals aspirations, but now they can practically taste it with a 2-0 lead. If the Nuggets can take Game 3 over the Lakers and go up 3-0, there is no doubt they will be looking ahead to the NBA Finals.

Before they can do that, the Nuggets need to focus on the matchup ahead and try to steal a game on the road. Whether that happens in Game 3 or Game 4 remains to be seen, but the former is the priority as of now. With that being said, here are three bold predictions for the Denver Nuggets in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Lakers.

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*Stats via ESPN

Denver Nuggets finally stop Rui Hachimura

Arguably the best player against the Nuggets in this series has been the Lakers' Rui Hachimura. After a very solid Game 1, he was clearly the best player on the floor for the Lakers in Game 2. Hachimura had 21 points on 8/10 shooting, a ridiculously efficient night. Not only has he been stellar on the offensive end, but he has been very stout on the defensive end as well, specifically defending Nikola Jokic. After two games with rather dominant play, the Nuggets are going to put more of an emphasis on stopping him versus other players on the Lakers for Game 3. When the final buzzer sounds, Rui Hachimura is going to have less than 10 points.

Keeping Hachimura to under 10 points would certainly be a stretch given how impressive he has been for the Lakers in the postseason. He and Austin Reaves have burst onto the scene for Los Angeles, one of the main reasons the Lakers are in the Western Conference Finals against the Nuggets in the first place. However, the presence of Anthony Davis and LeBron James allows guys like Hachimura to get open looks, and that will not be the case in Game 3. Both Davis and James struggled in Game 2, and the Nuggets are going to make the two Lakers stars win Game 3 by themselves. This will result in Rui Hachimura failing to reach 10 points.

Reggie Jackson plays vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, scores 10 points

Reggie Jackson has barely seen minutes in the postseason for the Nuggets, although he did check in for three of them in Game 2. Although he didn't make much of an impact, that will change in Game 3. With the Lakers down 2-0, they will undoubtedly be changing things up for Game 3, and the Nuggets are going to counter by giving Reggie Jackson some run. With the rare opportunity, Jackson is going to take advantage and find himself in the double digits in the final stat sheet.

Jackson has been in the league for quite some time, although his tenure with the Nuggets has been fairly uneventful. There was a point in his career where he was considered amongst the top guards in the NBA, although consistency was always an issue for him. Now that he rarely finds minutes, he has to take advantage when the time comes. The Nuggets will throw him out there early in Game 3 against the Lakers, and Jackson is going to take the opportunity and run with it. Unbelievably, Reggie Jackson will have 10 points in Game 3.

Nikola Jokic does not get a triple-double or double-double

It is pretty much guaranteed nowadays that Nikola Jokic is going to be close to a triple-double in every contest. What he is doing on a nightly basis has never been seen before in the NBA, and quite honestly is not glorified enough in the national media. Nevertheless, Jokic has made it clear that the lack of national attention for him and his teammates does not bother him, and in reality he prefers it. This type of mentality is probably what allows him to remain so consistent, although in Game 3, he is going to have a rare off game. Nikola Jokic is going to have a below average night for his standards, failing to reach both a triple-double and a double-double.

Not reaching these statistical categories and equating that to a poor night is just a testament to how talented of a player Nikola Jokic is. However, with the Lakers season on the line, they pretty much have to play their best game of the year in Game 3 against the Nuggets. This will cause an extra emphasis on neutralizing Jokic all game long, and they are going to find some success, relative to NBA standards. Jokic will still have plenty of buckets, but he will fail to reach double digits in both rebounds and assists, and anomaly for the Serbian big man. Only time will tell whether that leads to a win or loss for the Nuggets, although for the Lakers, they have to believe this would give them a good shot in Game 3.