Under normal circumstances, Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals would be held in Pepsi Center in the Mile High City. Hoping to get a laugh out of his players before 48 minutes of tense basketball action, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel slipped in a joke about Denver's “altitude.”
Per Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, Vogel shared what the Lakers tactician said to his players ahead of tipoff. On top of their game plan against the Nuggets, Vogel told his team to also take into account the Denver altitude.
“You know, I did make sure our guys did whatever they needed to do to adjust to the altitude of playing in Denver tonight because Game 3, you've always got to account for that altitude. …”
Teams visiting Denver know that they need to keep in mind the city's altitude. Despite being the best athletes in the world, they seem to have no match for the city's thin air. Some players have admitted to catching their breath in the first few possessions of the game.
Unfortunately for the Nuggets, they won't have this type of edge over the Lakers. However, they have proven numerous times that they don't need it in the bubble. They did well in the seeding games, and in the playoffs, they came back from a 3-1 deficit two consecutive times.
It's a nice little gesture from Vogel to insert a little humor here and there.
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