Nuggets show resolve again, top Lakers in Game 3 to cut Western Conference finals deficit to 2-1

 

LAKE pitched battle, Fla. — capital of Colorado Nuggets coach Michael Malone wasn’t upset regarding his team’s response in Game three when a crushing Game two loss on the ultimate shot.

"I had little question that we have a tendency to were getting to show up (Tuesday)," Malone aforesaid. "The reason I did not have any doubt is as a result of we have a tendency to won six straight elimination games. everyone continuously has US packing our luggage and effort, however we're not able to go. for a few reason we have a tendency to love this bubble. i am unable to make a case for that, however this team loves the bubble."

The never-quit Nuggets climbed back to their Western Conference finals against the l.  a.   Lakers with a 114-106 finish Tues.

Jamal Murray hit 2 3-pointers in associate 84-second stretch late within the fourth quarter, the other giving capital of Colorado a 111-99 lead with fifty three.7 seconds to play.

Murray was outstanding with twenty eight points, twelve assists and eight rebounds. Nikola Jokic had twenty two points and ten rebounds, and Jerami Grant born in twenty six points.

The Lakers lead the series 2-1, and Game four is Th (9 p.m. ET, TNT).

"They square measure a terrific team, in order that they square measure getting to build plays," Lakers coach Frank Vogel aforesaid. "You place yourself in associate 18-point hole, it's powerful to climb out of that. however like I aforesaid, our guys did build runs. Showed some resiliency. Had a chance to win the sport. a handful things — had a turnover, a handful lost three. might have closed the gap or taken a lead. But again, nice spirit to fight back within the game."

Malone liked  however his team contend within the half of Game two — "We ought to have won that game, in our opinion," he aforesaid — and therefore the Nuggets picked up wherever they left off.

"(Monday) after we met and that we watched the film, I started off by look the last play of the sport," Malone aforesaid. "Get the elephant within the area out of the approach. Let's state the play, what happened. once we're during this scenario once more, let's learn from it. Yes, we have a tendency to all take possession. Let's learn from it."

Denver LED by 2 when one quarter, then started the second quarter on a 15-2 run — with Jokic on the bench — and engineered a 15-point lead. it had been a section of 23-5 run that extended the Nuggets’ result in 50-32.

The Nuggets had a solution for everything the Lakers did. once l.  a.   bit into their lead, creating it 63-58 early within the third quarter, the Nuggets outscored the Lakers 36-19 and in hand a 97-77 lead, their largest of the series, with 10:36 left within the fourth quarter.

The Lakers didn’t get away tho'. They force to among 101-98 game, however the Nuggets another time responded, finishing the sport on a 13-8 run.

Despite a sloppy 21-point fourth quarter, capital of Colorado still shot fifty four.8% from the sector, as well as thirty seven.9% on 3-pointers, and outrebounded the Lakers 44-25.

"Denver came in and contend exceptionally well," Lakers star LeBron James aforesaid. "They contend higher than US, additional aggressive than US through 3 quarters, 36 minutes, however you recognize, we have into the penalty within the third quarter with like 9 and a 0.5 minutes to travel and that we had some turnovers that LED to some straightforward buckets for them. we have a tendency to had sixteen turnovers for twenty five points and place them to the road twenty nine times. it isn't getting to be winning ingredients for US if we have a tendency to still do this and that we knew that."

James recorded his twenty sixth career competition triple-double with thirty points, eleven assists and ten rebounds, and Anthony Davis had twenty seven points — however simply 2 rebounds, each within the final quarter. Davis, Markieff Morris, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard combined for simply four rebounds.

"Have to try to to a more robust job on the glass in person," Davis aforesaid. "I cannot have 2 rebounds for a whole game. So, i'd be higher in this facet, however unacceptable. I mean, there is not extremely a lot of I will say. I simply got to do higher."