Lakers Vs Nuggets A battle between Nug and legends

This was a series short on games, long on drama and fourth-quarter suspense … and Jokic. Especially
Jokic. That essentially captures what you saw, what emerged from Lakers vs. Nuggets. And so, there was
a transition that became official Monday: A team with 17 championships along with its legendary star
playing his 20th season gave way to a franchise with no titles led by a superstar built for this generation.
So congrats to the Nuggets, who confirmed their No. 1 West seed with a dominant performance, and to
Jokic, a two-time Kia NBA MVP who captured one major trophy — the Magic Johnson Trophy as the most
valuable player in the series — and now begins the hunt for an elusive championship trophy. Denver
swept the Lakers and honestly, with a few exceptions during brief stretches, L.A. was never in control at
any point in the four games. LeBron delivered a blistering if desperate effort in the first half of Game 4
with 31 points and then, somewhat predictably, was gassed in the second half and especially the fourth
quarter. Meanwhile, Jokic battled through foul trouble in the final five minutes and supplied timely plays
and a few finishing touches that put the Lakers to sleep. Here’s five takeaways from the Nuggets’ 113-
111 victory in Game 4 and a West final that was a reversal from 2020, when the Lakers prevailed. L.A.
captured the championship that season, and in a few weeks we’ll learn if the Nuggets can do the same.
Imagine being the best player on a floor shared with LeBron and Anthony Davis. It takes a special talent
to rise above those two and yet Jokic did so with no doubt. Is he the best player in the NBA who lacks a
championship? A case can be made for that distinction, and maybe, in a few weeks, Jokic will gladly
surrender that distinction to someone else. He had three triple-doubles in the series and saved his best
for last: 30 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, three blocks and a steal. But it was the manner in which Jokic
chopped down the Lakers in Game 4, by being a constant presence around the rim, sinking crazy step-
back 3-pointers — Davis shot him a you-gotta-be-kidding-me look after Jokic dropped one in the fourth
— and coming up big in the fourth. After Jokic earned his fourth and fifth fouls in quick succession,
Nuggets coach Michael Malone kept him on the floor. Jokic was fortunate he wasn’t whistled for a sixth
when he made contact with Davis’ arm on the very next possession. Anyway: Jokic had three assists,
played decent defensively while walking that foul tightrope and hit the eventual game-winning bucket on
a finger roll to break a 111-all tie in the final minute. “Give him his damn respect,” Malone said. The
notion that the basketball public is just now discovering Jokic is silly. After all, he was voted MVP two
straight seasons and was runner-up this season. That’s called respect. What Jokic is finally catching up on
is his time in the bright playoff lights. He has never played this deep into the season, which is why there’s
a perception that Jokic is somehow being ignored. And it doesn’t take into account that, with Murray
and Michael Porter Jr. dealing with injuries in recent seasons, Jokic had to drag a team of role players
into the playoffs. Well, the Nuggets are healthy now. He has help. And he has a chance to finally cash in.

2. Denver finally does it This franchise has never won a championship of any kind, either the ABA or NBA.
This franchise is due, and with the Milwaukee Bucks long eliminated and the Boston Celtics on the brink,
the Nuggets will enter the NBA Finals as the favorite — finally giving them the recognition they feel was
lacking all season. If the Nuggets do break the championship code, it’ll satisfy all the near-misses and
false starts of the past. It’ll make up for David Thompson stumbling down the stairs of Studio 54 in New
York, injuring his knee and never being the same. And those entertaining teams coached by Doug Moe in
the 1980s that were high on points but low on postseason results during the Lakers’ “Showtime” era.
And Dikembe Mutombo clutching the basketball on the floor following the Nuggets’ upset of the Seattle
SuperSonics in 1994 but soon losing the glass slipper. And eight straight years of missing the playoffs in
the late 1990s followed by five straight years of first-round eliminations. Article-
https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2023-05-20/lakers-nuggets-game-3-nba-playoff-series-
recap