Lakers Fall Into 3-0 Series Hole After Game 3 Loss to the Nuggets

The Los Angeles Lakers’ championship aspirations are on life support. 

On Saturday night, LA dropped a 119-108 decision to the Denver Nuggets at the Crypto.com Arena, despite entering the contest as -5.5 favorites.

The loss forces the Lakers into the seemingly insurmountable 3-0 series deficit, with Game 4 scheduled for Monday. 

Game Four Monday. pic.twitter.com/LtQPkzigh4

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) May 21, 2023

Jamal Murray led all scorers with an impressive 37 points, adding seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals in the victory. The Nuggets guard has now eclipsed 30 points in three matchups against the Lakers and is averaging 35.0 points per game in the Western Conference Finals. 

Predictably, Nikola Jokic showed up with another solid performance, dropping 24 points, six rebounds, and eight assists. 

Again, Anthony Davis did most of the heavy lifting for the hosts. AD’s 28 points and 18 rebounds made it his fourth straight double-double. Likewise, King James put together a well-rounded effort, falling three rebounds shy of a triple-double.

The Lakers have never won a playoff game while trailing 3-0 in a series. Nevertheless, FanDuel Sportsbook has LA priced as -3.5 chalk in Game 4.