Nuggets methodically run down the Lakers again to win 112-105

Aaron Gordon’s 15 rebounds (5 offensive), 29 points, and acrobatics in the paint paced Denver’s winning effort tonight | Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

A familiar storyline (Denver comeback) was this time authored by their starting forwards.

The reigning champion Denver Nuggets asserted their dominance in the second and third quarters to build enough of a cushion to hold off the Los Angeles Lakers once more 112-105 in Game 3 of the first round. The Nuggets ran up their win streak against Los Angeles to 11 to get a stranglehold of the series.

The Lakers again ran out to a double digit lead in the opening stanza – only to see it slowly disintegrate under the persistent pressure of Denver’s rebounding advantage (51 to 38) and higher-class execution. This occurred despite the team’s combining for 18% from behind the arc with the Nuggets hitting 5 of 28 and the Lakers checking in at 5 for 27.

Denver’s Porter, Jr. (20 points, 10 rebounds) and Aaron Gordon (24 points and 15 rebounds) stood tallest this time for the Denver frontline, while Nikola Jokic (20 points, 15 rebounds, and 9 assists) and Jamal Murray (22 points and 8 assists) were their sublimely efficient selves from the first quarter on.

The Lakers’ Anthony Davis (31 points and 15 rebounds) and LeBron James (22 points and 8 assists) led the way for an LA squad that had only one other double digit scorer (Austin Reaves with 22). This was just not enough given the goose-egg from D’Angelo Russell and five points from Rui Hachimura.

Denver had an uncharacteristic amount of turnovers plague them in the opening period, and James and Davis took advantage on fast break opportunities to get their team up as much as nine. The Nuggets had a hard time finding shooting touch and relied heavily on interior passing and movement to take advantage at the other end. Gordon, in particular, being likened to a ‘6’9” Josh Hart’ had six quick points. Los Angeles left the first up ten.

There was much back-and-forth that occurred in the second quarter. Denver’s bench helped out to bolster a rare slow start for their stars. Murray’s offensive production bracketed his teammates’ scoring, but Los Angeles’ three top scorers tonight had the majority of the points in this frame. The Lakers went into the break up only four.

Denver ran an offensive clinic around and through the Lakers’ ground-bound defenders to wrest away the lead in the third period. Despite Davis’ best protestations at the offensive end, the Nuggets’ Murray and Gordon finding success from distance and at the rim respectively. Awkwardly enough, Jokic and James seemed mostly like bystanders until late in the frame.

Observations

The TNT commentators were giving Jokic his flowers late in the game when the outcome was no longer in doubt, and comparing the Serbian favorably (as he often has) to Tim Duncan. Unofficial favorite Tim Duncan memory: After the Spurs walloped Dallas with that finishing 34-9 fourth quarter in Game 6 of the 2003 West finals, a grinning Eduardo Najera just hugged Duncan in amazement of what transpired in that half hour. When Duncan hit a turnaround in the middle of that run, I will forever have Marv Albert’s words etched in memory: “TIIIIIM DUNCAN… WITH HIS FIRST GOAL… IN 27 MINUTES.” followed moments later by an orgasmic “KERR. AGAIN! STEVE KERR WITH ANOTHER THREE!”
For Spurs fan’s searching for every morsel of news this offseason, ESPN’s article on win streaks against one team was a great reminder of how much the Spurs ran roughshod over those Grit and Grind Grizzlies after that 2011 first-round loss.
My close friend who’s a lifelong Lakers fan tells me pregame, “Here’s your recap: Lakers go up big, Nuggets comeback, Lakers go back up big, Nuggets make comeback.”
The Porter, Jr. dribble-drive from the hand-off may be a thing that Denver needs in the next round against either the Wolves or Sns as secondary offense.
The hundreds of Wingstop commercials has actually DISCOURAGED me from going to the one two miles from my house.
Laker coach Darvin Ham is starting to get look that Rick Adelman used to get during his series losses in the 90’s and 00’s.
In light of these playoff losses piling up (and granted, it’s mainly Denver’s influence), but the pairing I started think of with James and Davis toiling in futility? Extra-credit DeRozan and Aldridge.
For the few remaining people making the AD / Timmy comparisons, even Timmy seemed to go to the floor far more gracefully for as much physical contact he endured especially later in his career with fewer game-to-game injuries.
From the opening tip, Los Angeles went up 8-0 to bring the crowd to a fervor. The Lakers were (front)running out in transition while Denver seemed to bide their time. Porter, Jr hit a three and found a cutting Gordon for a dunk in response. Davis and James were the two highest energy sources throughout the quarter, while Jokic drew two quick fouls. The Nuggets attacked the Lakers interior to cut the Laker lead in half. Kentavius Caldwell-Pope’s wing three brought the Nuggets closer. Davis’ power dunk and Reeves’ floater made it 33-23 Lakers after one.
Murray’s notched his first bucket to start the second, but Reeves found scoring success seeking out mismatches. Gordon powered through four Lakers defenders to rebound a miss and lay it back in, but Denver had no answer at the other end for Davis’ interior presence. The Nuggets inched closer through the rest of the half in bits and moments: Peyton Watson getting two blocks, Murray finding his accuracy in the mid-range, Caldwell-Pope’s annoying perimeter presence, and dogged second-chance opportunities. Gordon’s tip-in trimmed the Lakers advantage to 53-49.
Denver’s inevitable comeback bid started with a quick-strike in the third with the duo of Murray and Porter, Jr. doing the damage. Davis scored valiantly to try to fend off the waves of Nuggets baskets – especially Gordon being in his own in-game dunk contest. A crosscourt kickout from Jokic to Murray for three put the Nuggets up six, while Los Angeles turned the ball over. Caldwell-Pope’s jumpers put Denver up a dozen, but pulled up lame with an ankle injury late in the quarter.
The teams traded buckets in the first minutes of the fourth quarter. Porter, Jr. confidently pulled up to swish home really pure looking shots. With ample opportunities to cobble together a closing run, Los Angeles found no momentum from the perimeter outside of an occasional field goal, and Denver choked the remaining life out of their deflated opponents. Porter, Jr. had two jumpers from the left elbow that essentially sealed the Lakers’ fate.