The Denver Nuggets made history on Tuesday when they came from 3-1 down in the series to eliminate the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round of the playoffs. The Nuggets were the underdogs against arguably the best side the Clippers have ever fielded in franchise history, but Denver found a way to upset the odds.
The Los Angeles Lakers are up next for the Nuggets in a showdown in the Western Conference Finals. Denver has been nothing short of amazing in the postseason thus far, but as it seems, they have finally met their match in the Lakers. Here are five compelling reasons why Los Angeles is considered the heavy favorite to emerge from this series.
1. (Recent) History
3-1. This is how the Lakers fared against the Nuggets in the regular season. L.A. won three out of four bouts against the Nuggets during the season, with two of them coming in Denver. All games were relatively close — including an overtime win by the Lakers back in February — except for the Nuggets' single blowout win. Denver dominated the Lakers in December, 128-104, but it's important to note that LeBron James sat that game out.
One could easily argue that the regular-season record no longer matters at this point, but there's also no denying that recent history is on the side of L.A. here.
2. Defense
One of the many things the Lakers have proven in their first two playoff matchups is that they have arguably the best defense in the league right now. The Nuggets did a commendable job breaking down the defense of both the Utah Jazz in the first round and the Clippers in the second, but quite frankly, neither of these teams are in the same league as the Lakers' defense.
During their regular-season matchups, L.A. did a commendable job stopping both Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. The combination of JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard stifled Jokic during the regular season, and they will look to do the same in the Western Conference Finals, with plenty of help from Anthony Davis, of course. Davis has been ridiculous in these playoffs on both ends of the court, and Jokic won't be able to totally dominate him like he did Montrezl Harrell in the last round.
As for Murray, the Lakers have shown how adept they are at containing elite guards thus far, which came in the form of Damian Lillard, Russell Westbrook, and even James Harden, to some extent. Murray is not yet in the same league as the three aforementioned stars, but he has been playing incredible basketball in the bubble and will be a handful. Still, the Lakers will be ready.
3. Experience
Much has been made about how the Nuggets have come back from 3-1 down against both the Jazz and Clippers. However, Denver did this against two relatively inexperienced teams, at least compared to the Lakers. Both the Jazz and Clippers have players on their team that have had their fair share of playoff battles in the past, but they simply pale in comparison to a very experienced Lakers side.
LeBron, Dwight Howard, Danny Green, Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee, JR Smith, and even Quinn Cook have all been to the NBA Finals. That's more than half their squad. On the contrary, this particular Nuggets side is facing their first trip to the Western Conference Finals.
It is clear which team is more experienced here, and for the Nuggets, we just don't see them coming back from 3-1 down against this Lakers team.
4. Fatigue
The Nuggets were supposed to be fatigued against the Clippers following an epic comeback against the Jazz in the first round, but that just didn't happen. As a matter of fact, it was LA that looked gassed in Game 7 on Tuesday. Denver is a young team, and it cannot be denied that their youthful exuberance has played a huge role in their epic comebacks.
Nevertheless, you have to ask: how much gas do they have left in the tank at this point? Just imagine how much energy this Nuggets team had to expend to come back 3-1 down in the series — twice.
In comparison, the Lakers made quick work of their opponents in the first two rounds, going 8-2 in the playoffs thus far. They're also coming off five full days of rest from their last game, as opposed to Denver, who only get two days off. The Nuggets have played 14 games in the postseason thus far, while L.A. has taken the court just 10 times.
Youth may be in the favor of Denver, but it would be foolish to completely disregard the fatigue factor.
5. LeBron James
Finally, and perhaps ultimately the biggest reason why the Lakers should be able to defeat the Nuggets: LeBron James. We've all heard about the Year-17 narrative over and over, and it now seems repetitive at this point. That does not make it any less true, though.
LeBron had a tremendous, MVP-worthy regular season, but he has stepped it up a notch in the playoffs. In 10 postseason games, James is averaging 26.6 points on 55.3 percent shooting, 10.3 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks while also connecting on 2.3 triples per game at a 37.1 percent clip. Amazing.
LeBron has done it all in the NBA, and one could argue that there's nothing left for him to play for at this point. Make no mistake about it, though: this is the last thing on James' mind. His competitive spirit remains as high as it was in Year 1, and there is no lack of motivation for him — especially after his disappointing debut season with the Purple & Gold last season.
James is on a mission, and unfortunately for the Nuggets, they are standing in his way.
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