Lakers try to regain control against confident Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets don’t sound like an underdog.

Jamal Murray believes they should be leading the Western Conference finals. They aren’t, though they say there is still a long way to go in the series.

If the Los Angeles Lakers don’t start playing better, the Nuggets might be right.

Outplayed for much of the last 11/2 games, the top-seeded Lakers look to regain control of the series when the teams play Game 4 tonight.

The Lakers were careless with the ball and not disciplined enough on defense in Game 2, when they needed Anthony Davis’ three-pointer as time expired to avoid a loss. Instead of cutting down on their turnovers and fouls, Los Angeles repeated them in Game 3, helping the Nuggets build a big lead on their way to a 114-106 victory that cut the Lakers’ lead to 2-1.

“It’s not going to be winning ingredients for us if we continue to do that and we knew that. Even after Game 2, we talked about that,” LeBron James said.

“Got to be better than that Game 4.”

The Nuggets have been behind by two games in all three playoff series, so they were stung but not sunk when Davis denied them in Game 2. They came back and controlled much of Game 3 and responded with poise after their one faulty stretch, when the Lakers cut a 20-point deficit to three.

“This gives us that much more confidence going into this series, letting them know that we’re here, we’re in this for the long haul,” Denver Coach Michael Malone said. “We’re going to continue to fight and do whatever we can.”