The Nuggets became the bold, bravura Bubble-blasters again Tuesday night.
The Lakers took one on the chin — literally.
This is a serious series.
After leading comfortably in the first half by 18, dipping, and up by 97-77 in the fourth quarter, the Nuggets held on for the dearest of lives with swoop-hoops toward the end to drum-beat LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the rest of the Lakers, 114-106. The Nuggets have won nine times in the postseason after starting it with only eight players.
The Jazz got run out of postseason; the Clippers got done in and out; and, now, the Lakers know that the Nuggets are not going away any time soon, or maybe ever.
In reality, the Nuggets could be up in the Western Conference Finals 2-1. The Lakers should be very scared. A second team from Los Angeles, favored to be NBA champs, was played for chumps for most of the evening.
The Jamal Murray-Nikola Jokic duo outdueled the James-Davis combo, and, as imperative, other Nuggets turned into Most Valuable Contributors.
These are the names: Paul Millsap, Jerami Grant, Gary Harris, Michael Porter Jr. and Monte Morris. They took turns aiding The Cause. Grant finished with a playoff career-high 26 points, played defense as if he were a member of the No-Fly Zone and was a one-man band for two critical stretches. Millsap, The Old Man, had what appeared to be rather common stats — eight rebounds and six points — but his basket, on a pass from Murray, really clinched the victory, and his veteran leadership on both ends was significant. Porter was there in the first quarter, and Morris gave the Nuggets 20 of the strongest minutes and 14 of the most important points.
The Young Team Who Can continues to prove to the world at large that it plans to stay in the bubble.
So, the Lakers have to deal with it, and must in Game 4 Thursday night after realizing there will be no sweep, no more blowouts, no last-second Wonder ball and no thoughts of coasting on Space Mountain.
Yes, the Lakers took two shots (more like 40 shots) at the Nuggets in the third quarter and once more in the final quarter, but the Nuggets, with a heart full of soul, endured the barrage and survived.
“We didn’t collapse,’’ coach Mike Malone said. “We withstood their run, their punch, and we had the poise to get ourselves out of it.’’
There was a moment that might be forgotten by many, but the Nuggets and the Lakers will remember it vividly. Everybody tries to rough up the Nuggets.
Two minutes into the third quarter, with the Lakers rallying, LeBron had the ball when Murray did a UFC move with an elbow to the bearded chin. James, a sometimes actor, embellished the blow and fell to the floor. Following a review, Murray was charged with a flagrant 1 foul.
And the Lakers were behind by just six (65-59).
Ultimately, though, Murray didn’t back down. He stepped up to score 28 points with 12 assists and eight rebounds. Jokic also produced a double-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
The Canadian and The Serbian.
Jokic set the tone, the pace, the court in the first half as the Nuggets played their preeminent opening 17½ minutes of the playoffs. They dominated the Lakers in most of the first and second quarters, leading 50-32 before the Lakers made cut their lead to 10 (63-53) at the halftime break.
If Jokic is The Joker, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard were more like The Clowns.
Consider this: The two Lakers centers had a combined eight points and two rebounds in the first half. Jokic was the guiding force with 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
It was the Nuggets’ “home game,’’ and they looked in the first half, finally, as if they were playing in the Mile High City rather than down the road from the Magic Kingdom.
The Lakers seemed tired and acted as if they were still celebrating the last-second field goal by Davis in Game 2 to take away what should have been a Nuggets’ victory.
L.A. couldn’t get away with another one, though.
The Nuggets popped the Lakers’ bubble.
How about four?
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