LOS ANGELES — Entering the night down 0-2 in the series, this was a game the Lakers had to have and everything was set up for them — Nikola Jokić struggled for three quarters, and they survived a Jamal Murray onslaught in the first half.
It didn’t matter.
Denver executes better. They have shooters everywhere and they trust each other and the system. And when they need it, they have the two-time MVP Jokić who had 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the fourth.
Denver pulled away in the fourth to win Game 3 119-108 and take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series.
With one more win, the Nuggets will advance to the franchise’s first NBA Finals (they did make the ABA Finals in 1976).
The first half was the Jamal Murray show.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was Lakers 20, Jamal Murray 17. However, throw in the other Nuggets and Denver was up by a dozen. The Lakers did not come out with the urgency expected of a team in a must-win game, but Murray did. He had 30 points on 13-of-20 shooting — including 4-of-8 from 3 — in the half.
Still, the Lakers only trailed by three at the half thanks to a late 14-4 run. It looked like they had weathered the storm.
And they had weathered an off Nikola Jokić game through three quarters. Jokić went to the bench with his fourth foul with 7:24 remaining in the third, but the Lakers were only +3 the rest of the quarter. The Nuggets still led by two heading into the fourth.
The Lakers hung around, but the Nuggets sold Gordon to keep shooters on the floor and it worked in the fourth — plus the Lakers shooters struggled. Denver won the fourth 22-16 and with it the game.
Murray finished with 37, Jokić had 25, Bruce Brown had 15 off the bench and Michael Porter Jr. poured in 14.
Anthony Davis had 28 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Lakers. Both LeBron James and Austin Reaves scored 23.
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Red hot Jamal Murray early, Nikola Jokić late lifts Nuggets past Lakers to 3-0 series lead originally appeared on NBCSports.com