In the first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Denver Nuggets were unable to complete a sweep, but at least Game 4’s 119-108 defeat allowed some players to take stock of the series thus far.
During the press conference following the game, Nikola Jokić, a prominent player for the Nuggets, discussed his team’s performance and couldn’t resist adding a nugget of horse racing knowledge.
Jokić responded, “Of course we want to win, but I learned in horse racing it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” in response to a question regarding Denver’s sluggish starts through four games in the series. We hope to improve upon our performance from today, as we didn’t finish very well.
The Nuggets won the first three games of the series before pushing back from three straight double-digit deficits. According to a recent startling statistic, the Lakers have led the series for 136 minutes overall, while the Nuggets have led for slightly less than 42 minutes. Despite this, Denver still has a 3-1 lead and is clearly in the lead.
The Lakers needed a lifeline on Saturday to avoid elimination from the first round and another humiliating sweep, and they succeeded in getting one by defeating the reigning champs for the first time since December 2022. Leading the late charge was LeBron James, who scored 14 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter. Anthony Davis chipped in with 25 points and a career-high 23 rebounds in the playoffs.
With 33 rebounds, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists in Game 4, Jokić had another successful night. However, his teammates were clearly struggling against the Lakers’ tough and physical defense.
