The Denver Nuggets are one game away from making the first trip to the NBA Finals in franchise history. After dispatching the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, the Nuggets now have a commanding 3-0 series lead and a chance on Monday to beat the same team that knocked them out three postseasons ago hit this round.
But that will not be an easy task. The Lakers have lost only once on their home floor this postseason – to the Nuggets in Game 3 – and still have a plus-105 point difference in their home building. LeBron James and the Lakers will not go down without a fight. Here’s how to tune in as the Nuggets try to send them home for the summer.
Lakers at Nuggets – Game 4
- Date: Monday May 22 | Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Place: Crypto.com Arena — Los Angeles
- TV channel: ESP | Live stream: fubo (free trial)
- Chances: Lakers -3.5; O/U 224.5 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Recommended game | Los Angeles Lakers v Denver Nuggets
Storylines
Lakers: The Lakers have become almost entirely dependent on four players: James, Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves. That group accounts for just under 82% of all Laker points in this series, and no other Laker has reliably contributed to the defense aside from Jarred Vanderbilt. If the Lakers are going to make any kind of meaningful comeback effort, it will start with a few role players taking the pressure off this core.
nuggets: Jamal Murray averages 35 points per game in this series, which raises an interesting question: Could he beat his better-known teammate, Nikola Jokic, for the Western Conference finals MVP trophy? It would be somewhat ironic given Jokic’s status as a two-time NBA MVP, and Jokic could easily take the Finals MVP trophy in response, but it’s nice to see another Nugget thrive on the biggest stage.
Prediction
The Nuggets will eventually win this series. Teams that build a 3-0 lead have an overall postseason record of 149-0. But the Lakers won’t make it easy for them. Expect the Lakers to win a hard-fought Game 4 and at least send this series back to Denver for one more game. The pick: Lakers -3.5