Game 3 of Nuggets vs. Lakers has a tough act to follow on Thursday night.
Denver guard Jamal Murray capped a 20-point second half comeback in Game 2, hitting a fadeaway over Anthony Davis to win at the buzzer, just seconds after LeBron James missed an open 3-pointer.
The Lakers led at halftime of Game 1, so they’ve let two get away, continuing a postseason theme against the Nuggets since they had opportunities to win all four of last year’s Western Conference finals showdowns but wound up getting swept. Denver has won 10 consecutive meetings.
We’re about to see how resilient the Lakers are, because it’s realistically curtains if they come up short again in Game 3 (10 p.m. ET, TNT). That informs our breakdown of Nuggets vs. Lakers odds and props.
Here are the latest NBA betting odds for Denver vs. Los Angeles Game 3 at top-rated US sportsbooks:
Denver shot 8-for-34 from 3-point range in Game 2, and that’s with Michael Porter Jr. finishing 6-for-10. Starting guards Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished 0-for-9 from beyond the arc. Had James made his last 3-ball that rimmed out, or if Murray had misfired, we’d be talking about how the defending champs looked vulnerable in fumbling away homecourt advantage. The Nuggets have trailed for most of the series despite Jokic averaging 29.5 points, 16 rebounds and 8.5 assists.
Denver put together the NBA’s second-best home record (33-8), but went just 24-17 on the road, going 2-2 at Crypto.com Arena with a pair of wins over the Lakers and two losses to the Clippers. The Nuggets were just 6-4 over their last 10 regular-season games, which included a 2-2 road record behind wins over depleted Utah and Memphis. The Nuggets lost the likes of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green this past offseason, and their reserves have shot a combined 12-for-36 in this series, including 3-for-19 on 3-pointers.
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Although they got just six bench points, it’s hard to see LA playing much better than it did at Ball Arena since Davis, James and D’Angelo Russell combined for 81 points on 31-for-54 shooting (57 percent). Being at home will help the likes of Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves elevate their games, but it’s clear there’s a mental hurdle that must be overcome in addition to just outplaying the defending champs.
Davis must continue to play Jokic to at least a stalemate. He was inconsistent in last season’s series, but is 26-for-42 from the field, averaging 32 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. With James excelling in averaging 26.5 points and 10 assists, the backcourt of Russell and Reaves will be the x-factors. Russell shot 6-for-20 in the series opener, missing eight of nine from 3-point range. He was 7-for-11 from beyond the arc in Game 2.
Russell has been a much more accurate shooter in L.A. than on the road, shooting 44.7 percent from 3-point range as opposed to 38 percent in away games. Reaves went 3-for-11 on 3-pointers in Denver and is similarly better at home. Getting anything out of Spencer Dinwiddie and Gabe Vincent would be helpful. The duo went scoreless through 46 combined minutes in Denver.
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James should rack up a second straight game with double-digit assists, topping 8.5. Look for Caldwell-Pope (9.5) and Reaves (13.5) to surpass their point prop figures since we’ll see them encouraged to take their open looks to take advantage of Davis and Jokic being double-teamed.
LA is better equipped to win than it was last season and will pour everything into clawing back in the series. Falling behind 3-0 would be devastating, and considering how well Davis and James are playing and how much better Russell and Reaves are at home, this should be a game they win outright if they get a favorable whistle.
Pick: Lakers -1.5
