The Denver Nuggets nearly let Game 3 slip away from their hands in what turned out to be a nail-biting affair against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night. They stood firm, though, as they took LA's best punch only to counter with a knockout blow that ultimately allowed them to secure an insurmountable 3-0 series lead in the Western Conference Finals.
A delighted Michael Malone spoke to the press right after his team's massive win. The Nuggets coach, however, could not help but take a shot at Anthony Davis and the referees with a mini rant centered around the Lakers' superstar big man:
“[Jokic and Murray] are just being hounded everywhere,” Malone said after Game 3. “Anthony Davis is playing free safety, sitting in the paint for 8 seconds at a time and showing an extra crowd.
“So to only have 6 turnovers for 8 points in a game of this magnitude, I really felt was huge.”
The Lakers have found some success with Davis manning the paint, but in the end, it simply has not been enough. In his mind, Malone firmly believes that the game officials are being very lax with AD and the amount of time he's allowed in the paint.
Turnovers were indeed a big part of the story in this one. As Malone pointed out, the Nuggets conceded just six turnovers in 48 minutes against a top-rated Lakers defense. Denver will want to keep this same trend going in Game 4 as they look to close out LeBron James and Co. on their own home court.
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