While the playoffs began last Saturday, as of this evening, a franchise could already be out the door. These are LeBron James' Lakers, led 3-0 by the Nuggets. Game 4 is at 2:30 a.m. tonight, and the Lakers are facing an almost impassable wall since the NBA champions remain on 11 consecutive victories against them!
Every game, the Lakers led at the break, and yet they lost. The loss at the buzzer in Game 2 was a real headache, but they still led in Game 3. Because you have to play perfectly to take down the Nuggets, and LeBron James is even wondering if he already faced a better team since he wore the Lakers jersey.
Intelligence, scope, experience…
“AD and I were talking about it in the locker room, and we came to the following conclusion: This is one of the best teams, if not the best, that we have faced since we played together” cowardly LeBron James. “They are just well managed, well assembled… They have scorers, they have shooters, they have creators, they have intelligent players, they have scope, they have depth of squad… And then when you have a guy like Jokic, who is both big and cerebral, you can't really make a mistake against a player like that. »
LeBron James forgets an essential quality: common experience. The Nuggets have played together for years. The Jokic-Malone duo has been the keystone of the squad since 2015. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. have only known the Nuggets. Aaron Gordon arrived three years ago.
“We try… We watch a lot of videos… We adjust to the different coverages… But on a collective level, in my opinion, we just don't have enough experience. They've been together for like five years.” underlines Rui Hachimura.
One thing is certain, the Lakers are not that far from the Nuggets, and that is what retains Mike Malone before tonight's meeting.
“Last year, we won four close matches to win the title, and our guys are aware of that. This Game 4 will be the hardest of the series, and the Lakers are not going to leave the stage without a fight. We know it. There are Hall Of Famers in their home, and the greatest players in history play in their home. Their backs are against the wall, and our challenge is this: how do we ensure, mentally, that we are precisely the team that has their backs against the wall? How to be the team that is in the most emergency? They're not going to let us be. We have to be, in their room, and it's going to be a hell of a challenge! »
