Jokic isn’t having a banner night anyway, shooting 2 for 8 for five points. Denver doesn’t have a lot of size to back him up, so this could get a bit precarious depending on how Michael Malone juggles the risk factor early in the second half. The Lakers weathered the Jamal Murray storm thanks to Austin Reaves’ 15-point half, and Nikola Jokic picked up his third foul 33 seconds before the break. Probably.īennett Durando, sports reporter: Don’t get ahead of yourself just yet. Denver’s probably going to need someone else. Took a herculean first-half from Murray (30 points) to keep Denver ahead. Mike Singer, Nuggets beat reporter: Nuggets up 58-55 at halftime. If winning the first championship in franchise history was as easy as the Nuggets made it look before their big early lead collapsed, they would’ve done it long ago Mark Kiszla, sports columnist: We got us a ballgame. Denver needs to hit the boards a little harder if they want to take Game 3 in LA. (8:04 p.m.): Timeout Denver, Nikola Jokic can’t seem to get things going offensively tonight. (8:08 p.m.): That is four fouls on the Joker. My timeline after this Nuggets game… /glZvq3kI0IĬhallenge unsuccessful. Jeff Baileyįans finally alive (8:18 p.m.): The Nuggets need to channel that two-quarter stretch when Nikola Jokic didn’t score but they held a 20-point advantage over the Lakers anyway, because Jokic has four fouls with lots of time left in the third quarter. (8:27 p.m.): Heading to the 4th: Nuggets 84, Lakers 82. I’m guessing Michael Malone will take that. - Matt Schubert Thanks to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Nuggets will take a two-point lead into the fourth quarter. KCP carrying the Nuggets (8:28 p.m.): All things considered, it could’ve been a lot worse at the end of the third quarter for the Nuggets. Buckle up and hope Jokic or Murray finds their scoring touch again in the last 12 minutes of this one. Yet Denver’s lead going into the fourth is only one point fewer than it was at halftime. Jamal Murray went suddenly silent, Nikola Jokic scored two points then sat most of the quarter with four fouls, and LeBron James made his first two 3-pointers of the series. Bennett Durando Third-quarter updateīennett Durando, sports reporter: I’m trying to compute how the Nuggets got out of that third quarter alive. (8:34 p.m.): Nikola Jokic was on a 7-for-27 shooting stretch before scoring that go-ahead bucket.

Bruce bangs a 3-pointer and has something fun to say to Lakers’ bench. (8:40 p.m.): Really, really unselfish play from MPJ to Bruce there. Although, I’m sure the Nuggets will happily trade those foul shots if they keep hitting 3s. The free-throw disparity (27-11 in favor of the Lakers) all but demands it. Nuggets holding on (8:41 p.m.): Prediction: You will be hearing A TON about the refs after this one. There's 2:13 left in the game, and Lakers fans are leaving. It’s 114-103, Denver with less than two minutes to go. The Nuggets are about to move one win from the NBA Finals. Strong answer (8:56 p.m.): LeBron James hits a 3-pointer on one end, Nikola Jokic answers on the other. The Nuggets are up 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals, and it’s hard to believe they are going to be the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 lead in the conference finals. Kiszla: At doorstep of their first NBA Finals, Nuggets ready to kick it down and make historyįINAL: Nuggets 119, Lakers 108: It’s gonna happen, people.Nuggets 3-pointers: Nikola Jokic’s fourth quarter of Game 3 proves he can survive any slog or slump.Game Story: Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic push Nuggets to brink of NBA Finals, take commanding 3-0 lead over Lakers.Live updates, tweets, photos, analysis and more from the Denver Nuggets’ Game 3 matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers at Arena in Los Angeles on May 20, 2023. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menu

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