Orlando (United States) (AFP)
Denver, long dominant and far ahead in the score, almost cracked under the pressure of a fantastic comeback from the Lakers, carried by the triple-double from LeBron James, but point guard Jamal Murray, formidable in cold blood, extinguished the fire to preserve victory (114-106).
Here is the Western Conference final revived in the NBA, the Nuggets reducing the gap to 2-1 and now allowing themselves to doubt the favorite opposite.
But the scenario of the meeting proved to them how the need to fight for 48 minutes was real, even when we lead by 20 points before the last quarter.
Until then, aggressive as it should be, back to the wall after two defeats, the last of which was difficult to swallow after a shot at the buzzer from Anthony Davis, the Nuggets have shown that they had digested well and were the best team on the floor.
"I had no doubts what we were going to show. I had no doubts because we have won six straight knockout matches. Everyone has always seen us packing, but we are not ready to go coach Michael Malone said, referring to qualifying against Utah and the Clippers after falling 3-1.
"Yesterday we watched the N.2 match to learn lessons and the players saw so many good things that put us in a position to win ... Tonight we did it during three-quarters of the match ", he added.
Because the superiority of his team, against the Lakers next to their sneakers, without great offensive spring and without defensive will (Denver shot at 61% in the first period, at 55% over the whole match), was suddenly transformed crumbling in six minutes.
Loss of balls - six in a row!
- in baskets cashed on counterattacks, the gap was reduced to three points in the blink of an eye and Los Angeles imagined trapping the Nuggets at their own game, that of the fantastic comebacks they made specialty to meet at this stage of the play-offs.
- "Stronger" -
Disoriented, in turn experiencing the difficulty of keeping an advantage as substantial as it is, they were saved by Murray (28 pts, 12 assists, 8 rebounds) author of two long-distance baskets and some decisive offerings in the money-time, came to sanction the repeated largesse of LA
“My whole approach to the game is based on the same energy. Don't blame it if I miss a few baskets. I missed a few free throws today, which never happens. But I stayed aggressive, so that my teammates are also with me, "said the point guard.
He was thus able to count on the big contribution of Jerami Grant author of 26 points, his personal best in the play-offs, and on Nikola Jokic who especially weighed in the first period (22 pts, 10 rebounds), winning almost all his duels at inside.
But it is in this sector that LA has been too passive: evidenced by the starving total of rebounds (25 against 44), with in addition the 16 losses of balls which resulted in 25 opposing points in counterattack.
LeBron James (30 pts, 11 assists, 10 rebounds) may have pulled out the 26th triple-double of his career in the play-offs (he is now four units from Magic Johnson's NBA record), so it was not enough to hide the inconsistencies of most of his teammates.
Thus, if Anthony Davis was prolific in points (27), he did not weigh in the rebound (2) or in defense, unlike Rajon Rondo (9 pts, 8 assists), still formidable in self-sacrifice with his three interceptions in a row that miraculously, but unsuccessfully, revived the Lakers.
"They were stronger, Jamal Murray had a great game, we have to give them that credit. It's up to us to be better in Game 4 on Thursday," concluded James.
© 2020 AFP