We weren’t really expecting them at this point, but the Nuggets are well in the Conference Finals to face the regular season leader of the West, the Lakers of LeBron James. The latter will logically be favorites, but they know that the team opposite is capable of playing very bad tricks. So ask the Jazz and the Clippers.
Going back to a 3-1 deficit once is strong. To do it twice in a row in the same Playoffs campaign is simply historic. The Nuggets pulled off this incredible feat in the Orlando bubble, knocking out Utah and especially the Clippers in quick succession as they seemed down the hole every time. Obviously, Denver’s opponent in the Western Conference Finals followed the performance of Mike Malone’s men, the Lakers having clinched their qualification a good week ago now as the series between the Nuggets and Clippers were at 3-2. in favor of the latter. Nikola Jokic’s level of play, Jamal Murray’s festival, Denver’s collective and intensity allowed the Nuggets to return from the dead, and LeBron James was able to take notes to best prepare for this confrontation. Asked by ESPN on the formidable comebacks of the Nuggets, the King paid tribute to them. He knows what it takes to bounce back from a 3-1 playoff deficit (hello Warriors fans), so he can only respect the Colorado heroes’ accomplishment.
“It’s a very resilient group, very confident, very determined, and very well coached. It takes a lot of energy and effort to come back from a 3-1 deficit. They did it twice. So we have a lot of respect for this team. This is how we will approach the series. By being aware of what they are capable of doing. “
So don’t count on LeBron James and the Lakers to underestimate this Denver team. Californians are warned, the Nuggets never let go. Well, if Frank Vogel and his guys can take a 3-1 advantage in the series, they are not going to deprive themselves eh, but they will do everything to conclude as quickly as possible because it is really not a good plan to play with fire against these guys. However, we are not there yet. Game 1 is for tonight, we’re at 0-0, and LeBron knows there’s a genius in the face with Nikola Jokic, at the heart of the collective success of the Nuggets.
“When you have the best player on the team, or one of the best players on the team, who favors the collective over his own person, it sends a message to the rest of the group” added the number 23 of the Lakers in speaking of Jokic.
With 25.4 points (51.5% shooting success, 44% parking and 83% free throws), 10.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists on average over the postseason, the Joker is currently on a small cloud. The playoffs of the man are exceptional and he plays today with a confidence and an altruism that sets the tone for the whole team.. The guy lets go of blind passes behind his head in the middle of Game 7, he does not hesitate to leave the spotlight to Jamal Murray when the latter is hot, all this while weighing on the different aspects of the game despite a quick draw of a player evolving in N3 . The Lakers know that to gain the upper hand over Denver, they will have to limit the individual and collective impact of the Joker, them who have already announced the return of JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard on the track.
After seeing the Jazz and especially the Clippers get knocked down by the Nuggets, LeBron James’ Lakers do not want to take the gang to Nikola Jokic down. When you face a team that has just come back from a 3-1 deficit twice in a row, it’s true that it’s a pretty good idea to be wary.
Text source: ESPN
–
