The Nuggets own a commanding 3-1 lead over the Lakers in their first-round playoff series, but LeBron James & Co. have still inexplicably dominated most of the 192 minutes thus far.
The Lakers have been ahead in 136 minutes and 31 seconds of the series, surrendering a lead to the Nuggets for only 41 minutes and 53 seconds. The games have been tied for 14 minutes and seven seconds.
Amazingly, the Lakers led all four games at the halftime break — by three points in Game 1, 15 in Game 2, four in Game 3 and 13 in Game 4.
Like clockwork, the Lakers would get outscored in the third quarters to let the Nuggets seize control — 32-18 in Game 1, 25-20 in Game 2, 34-22 in Game 3.
On Saturday, the Lakers finally flipped the script and refused to surrender their advantage in the third. Although they still got outscored by two points, the Lakers matched the Nuggets’ intensity and physicality, out-rebounding the Nuggets, 14-12, and converting on many second-chance opportunities.
In some ways, the Lakers gave the Nuggets a taste of their own medicine.
After the win, Lakers guard Austin Reaves, who shone in the game with 21 points and six assists, asserted that his team understood the significance of the third quarter.
“It’s been a point of emphasis for obvious reasons — we knew we had to win the third quarter,” Reaves told reporters. “In the past, they’ve taken advantage of their little 7-0, 8-0 runs and those turn into 12-2 or whatever. Tonight, we, kept them from kind of getting that and more.”
Only if the Lakers paid attention to those details, they could be going back to Denver tied 2-2 instead of teetering on the brink of elimination. Instead, the Lakers are trying to become the first team in NBA history to recover from a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs.
Game 4 tips off Monday at 10 p.m. ET.
