L.A.’s final step for berth shapes up to be toughest
LeBron James can reach a 10th NBA Finals, done by only three greats of the game.
Anthony Davis is on the verge of his first.
The final step for the Los Angeles Lakers shapes up as the toughest.
They have to knock out the Denver Nuggets, who have been onthe brink of dismissal from the bubble six times and every time refused to go.
“You can never be comfortable around this team,” Davis said. “They have been in this situation twice. We’ve been in the situation twice. But both teams are familiar with these situations, but this team is not going to go away.”
Game 5 is Saturday. The Lakers have ended both their series thus far in five games.
But the Nuggets were also down 3-1 against both Utah and the Los Angeles Clippers, fell far behind in Game 5, and then battled back to not only win the game but eventually the series.
No team had ever erased two 3-1 deficits in onepostseasonandnow the Nuggets need to do it a third time. It’s a predicament they could have avoided, if they’d gotten one more defensive stop in Game 2 or given up a few less second-chance points in Game 4.
“These are all close gameswe’re playing,” guard Jamal Murray said. “Going to keep battling it out.”
Murray was sensational again in Game 4, though James slowed him enough down the stretch after taking on the defensive assignment to help the Lakers pull out a 114-108 victory.
One more win, and James ties
NBA career scoring leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for third on the career list with10 NBAFinals appearances. Only Hall of Famers Bill Russell (12) andSamJones (11) of the Celtics have gone to more.
It would be James’ first with the Lakers after five appearances in Cleveland and four in Miami, and the Lakers’ first trip to the finals since winning the last of their 16 championships in 2010.
James and Davis have been the unquestioned catalysts of this run, and they’re good strong support fromsomeplayoff-tested veterans. DwightHowardhad12pointsand11 rebounds Thursday in his first start of this postseason, helping send Los Angeles to its overwhelming 25-6 advantage in second-chance points.
Rajon Rondo added 11 points and moved into eighth place on the career list with seven more assists.
“In the postseason, every possession is so important,” James said.