The Nuggets Went Up 3-0 As The Lakers Gave Up Another Double-Digit Lead

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Lakers ran out to a fast start against the Nuggets before watching Denver steadily reel them in and beat them.

For the 11th straight game, the Lakers fell to the Nuggets, and for the third straight game this series, they saw a double-digit lead evaporate in a 112-105 loss in Game 3. This time it wasn’t quite as dramatic as the Game 2 thriller, but L.A. took a 10-point lead into the second quarter, as LeBron James and Anthony Davis led the way, and got it up to 12 before Denver began closing the gap.

The Nuggets, despite having a rough shooting start, were able to cut the deficit to four at the half and by the early third quarter they’d taken the lead on a Michael Porter Jr. three.

On a night where no one on either side could consistently buy a bucket from the three-point line, Denver’s ability to score in myriad ways proved to be the difference. The Nuggets shot 5-of-28 from three and the Lakers went 5-of-27 from beyond the arc, but Denver was able to turn to a balanced attack and get to the basket more consistently than the Lakers.

Aaron Gordon led Denver in scoring with 29 points and 15 rebounds, going 12-of-18 from the floor and absolutely feasting in the paint, as every single one of his buckets came in the restricted area.

Nikola Jokic had 24 points (9-of-13 shooting) with 15 rebounds and nine assists, a relatively ho-hum game from the likely MVP. Jamal Murray had 22 points — but needed 21 shots to get there — and nine assists, while Michael Porter Jr. pitched in 20 points and 10 boards, including some big second half buckets to help Denver separate.

For the Lakers, James finished with 26 points and nine assists, while Davis had 33 points and 15 rebounds, but they got little in the way of support beyond a 2-point night from Austin Reaves (with many coming in a futile fourth quarter effort). D’Angelo Russell went scoreless, missing all seven shot attempts on the night (including six from three), but he certainly wasn’t alone in having a tough night. The Lakers just simply seem outgunned in this matchup, as there’s not enough support for their two stars, and by the time the fourth quarter arrives, those two seem gassed from having to carry so much of the load.

Denver, meanwhile, still hasn’t seemed to hit their stride in this series, but continues to find ways to win. This time they got their comeback done before the fourth quarter and were able to cruise down the stretch, and their ability to create offense in multiple ways makes them an absolute nightmare to deal with.

We’ll see if the Lakers can dig deep to find the will to snap the streak in Game 4, or if the Nuggets will polish off a second straight sweep in L.A.