Save honor and give yourself the right to dream of a historic turnaround, or drive the point home and pull off a “sweep” to reach the Finals. This was the challenge of this Game 4 between the Lakers and the nuggets in California.
The least we can say is that Los Angeles attacked this decisive meeting from the right end, quickly taking the advantage in the wake of LeBron James (40 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists). Rising up to +15 in favor of the locals, proof of this first half completely mastered by them, this gap nevertheless melted like snow in the sun in the second half. Well helped by his adversaries, denver did not ask for so much and, under the impulse of the inevitable Nikola Jokic (30 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, 3 blocks) and Jamal Murray (25 points), the Colorado franchise did not shake to complete LA in the “money time” (113-111).
The Lakers therefore suffer a broom and take the door, while Denver rallies the NBA Finals for the very first time. A logical result, as the leaders of the Western Conference have shown accuracy and superiority in this series. On the menu now: Miami or Boston!
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
— Triple first for Denver. First Finals, first “sweep” and first qualification against the Lakers: the cup is full for the Nuggets, who are slowly but surely coming of age this season! Only four more victories and they will climb to the top of the world…
— Nikola Jokic named Conference Finals MVP. For the second year only, the NBA awards a trophy to reward the best player in each conference final and, in the West, it is the “Joker” of the Nuggets who wins the day. Even if Jamal Murray clearly wouldn’t have stolen it (32.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.8 steals on average), he seems almost too “fair” next to his teammate: 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, 11.8 assists, 1.3 interception and 1.3 against on average, 51% in shooting (including 47% at 3-pointers) and 78% in throws… Did you say “best player in the world”?
— The light went out on the break for Los Angeles. Leading by 15 points at halftime, thanks in particular to a gala LeBron James, the Lakers completely lost their footing in the third quarter, conceding a… 36-16 which revived the Nuggets in a snap! On the street defensively and in the tough offensively, Darvin Ham’s men complicated their lives like grown-ups (even if Denver necessarily also had a role to play) and this is not the first time in this series that this has happened. occurs. The proof that they were missing something to go to the end this year.
— Denver serenity. Once again in these playoffs, and more particularly in this series, the Nuggets never give the impression of panicking or losing the thread of a meeting, even when they are trailing by ten points and their opponent is in control of the game. Like the champions they may soon be, Michael Malone’s players are weathering the storm, continuing to perform brilliantly and sticking to what they know how to do best, in attack and defense, to reverse the trend and regain color. The best team has passed and it is indisputable.
— Darvin Ham changes his rotation. Some expected these changes from Game 3, or downright from Game 2, but the Lakers coach finally waited for Game 4 to get D’Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt off his bench, to let Dennis Schröder and Rui Hachimura evolve with its holders. A paying choice because, under the impetus of this five “new look”, they put the Nuggets in difficulty from the first minutes to take control. But the real surprise adjustment of Los Angeles, it is the minutes offered to… Tristan Thompson, who besides made very good use of them!
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ LeBron James. Heroic in this “do or die game”, the “King” quite simply allowed himself to equal and establish his records in the playoffs, in terms of scoring in a quarter (21, in the first) and in a half (31, the first)! We quickly realized that the 38-year-old winger was having a great night and he never stopped demonstrating it, sometimes with a little success (“alley oop” transformed into 3-pointers), to put his Lakers in a position to win. Less influential after the break, because visibly overtaken by fatigue (48 minutes!), he showed the way as much as possible, but his many efforts were not enough.
✅ The Denver Collective. If Nikola Jokic, still in triple-double (his 8th in the 2023 playoffs, a new NBA record in a single campaign…), and Jamal Murray, once again decisive with his scoring, have as always assumed and put the Nuggets on their shoulders, Michael Malone was also able to rely on the fine performances of his “role players”, such as Aaron Gordon (22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists), Michael Porter Jr. (15 points, 10 rebounds) or even Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (13 points). And if it was finally the year of this franchise too often and too long in the shadows?
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D= defensive rebound; T = Total Bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Points = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
