The Denver Nuggets finally got on the board in the Western Conference Finals with a much-needed 114-106 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3. This comes after a heartbreaking defeat in Game 2, which saw them come just a couple of seconds from completing a shocking come-from-behind victory after falling behind by as many as 16 points. Unfortunately for Denver, Anthony Davis' Mamba Shot Heard Around The World changed their fortunes and they entered Tuesday night facing a 2-0 deficit.
As they have done all playoffs long, Denver answered the bell and dominated Los Angeles for the majority of Game 3. A late Lakers run in the fourth quarter certainly gave Denver a scare. The Purple and Gold sliced a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit to as low as three points in just under five minutes. But Jamal Murray and the Nuggets proved tough in the end to close out the Lakers to get their first win of this best-of-seven series.
As much as they almost let the game slip away in the fourth quarter, Denver deserved to win this game. Nikola Jokic (22 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists) set the tone in the first quarter, while Murray (28 points, eight rebounds, and 12 assists) made big shots down the stretch to seal the win. The Nuggets also got major contributions from their supporting cast. They played more aggressively for most of the contest and brought it on both ends of the floor.
Denver will look ride the momentum from the stellar Game 3 outing and look to even up the series with another win on Thursday. Here are four takeaways from the Nuggets' Game 3 victory over the Lakers.
Jerami Grant should be Denver's X-factor moving forward
As mentioned, Jokic and Murray have been consistently playing brilliant basketball throughout these playoffs. Even if these two stars continue to bring their “A” games on a nightly basis, the Nuggets will still need another player to emerge as a consistent contributor for them if they want to pull off the monumental upset over the top-seeded Lakers.
Jerami Grant became that guy for them in their Game 3 win. The 6-foot-8 forward stepped up and played incredibly on both ends of the floor. Obviously, Grant has the daunting task of trying to slow down both Anthony Davis and LeBron James on defense.
But on Tuesday, the 26-year old had his best offensive night in the postseason, pouring in a playoff career-high 26 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. Grant was also very aggressive throughout the night by driving to the basket, instead of just sitting and settling on the perimeter. His assertiveness got him 12 opportunities at the foul line, where he converted 10 of them.
Grant should continue to bring it to the Lakers defensively with his great energy, versatility, and length on that end of the floor. But if he keeps up this kind of assertiveness and aggressive mindset on the offensive end, Denver will be very tough to beat.
The Nuggets need “The Others” to step up
Aside from Grant, Denver also got a ton of help from “The Others” as the TNT crew called them on the broadcast. Game 3 also saw Monte Morris step up off the bench with 12 of his 14 points coming in the first half. Michael Porter Jr., meanwhile, finished with nine points, all of which also came before the intermission.
Still missing from the action, in terms of their scoring output, are Gary Harris and Paul Millsap. The two starters have yet to score in double figures in the series and are a combined 10-of-37 from the field through three games. While they play a huge role defensively for the Nuggets, Harris and Millsap must play better offensively. With so much of the Lakers' defense focusing on Jokic and Murray, these two vets should get plenty of open looks.
Denver finding a way to get the supporting cast going consistently in this series would certainly spell bad news for the Purple and Gold.
Michael Malone must find an answer for Lakers' fourth-quarter zone
Who would have known that the best players in the world would have such a tough time playing against high school basketball defense? We've seen coaches pull out the zone quite often in these 2020 playoffs. The Toronto Raptors did it in last year's Finals and pulled the same trick in their series against the Boston Celtics. Likewise, the Celtics and Miami Heat have also utilized the defense in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Now, Frank Vogel brought out the zone and saw great success with it in the fourth quarter of Game 3. The adjustment sparked a furious 21-4 Lakers rally in the fourth quarter. The disruptive defense forced plenty of turnovers on Denver's part and a ton of fast-break opportunities for Los Angeles. This helped close the gap to as low as three as the Nuggets almost blew a near-perfect game because they could not find an answer to the zone. Luckily for them, they were able to gather their bearings and closed out the Lakers down the stretch.
Given that Los Angeles found success with the zone for a stretch in the fourth quarter, it's likely that Vogel will go to it again in Game 4. With the usual day off between games, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone must address a way to bust that zone and counter the Lakers' attack with their own.
The Nuggets are no pushover
The Lakers may have dominated Game 1 convincingly, but that all seems to be a distant memory now. For nearly two games now, the Nuggets have arguably been the better team. Denver has won five of the last six quarters since Game 2. If not for Anthony Davis' thrilling game-winner on Sunday, this could have very well been a 2-1 series lead in favor of the Mile High City.
Denver definitely stepped up in Game 3. They played with much more energy on defense and stayed aggressive on the other end. Even though they were coming off a heartbreaking defeat in Game 2, the Nuggets, especially their two stars in Jokic and Murray, still played with a ton of confidence. This should be the case for the remainder of this series for this gritty squad.
Any Lakers fans who are still taking Denver lightly should seriously stop now. If you expect your Purple and Gold to coast their way to the NBA Finals, temper your expectations.
These Nuggets will definitely bring the fight.
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