NBA: LeBron, Lakers ready to tackle 'monster' Jokic

LOS ANGELES -- LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will attempt to overcome the formidable challenge posed by Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets as the Western Conference playoff finals get under way on Tuesday.

After struggling through the regular season, the Lakers are within four wins of returning to the NBA Finals after ousting the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Friday.

Now James and Lakers defensive star Anthony Davis are plotting an ambush of the top-seeded Nuggets in game one of their best-of-seven Western Conference finals series on Tuesday.

The showdown is a rematch of the Lakers-Nuggets 2020 playoff series in the NBA's Covid-19 bubble in Orlando, when the Lakers won 4-1 before going on to win their 16th championship.

Since then, however, Denver has matured significantly, with Jokic winning back-to-back NBA MVP awards in 2021 and 2022 as part of a team that also includes the talented Jamal Murray.

James said Monday he has no doubt that the 2023 version of the Nuggets will be a stiffer proposition.

"They're a better team," James said when asked to compare Denver with the team beaten in Florida three years ago.

"Obviously, they're more experienced. Every game, every postseason, every matchup allows you to continue to grow as a franchise, as a team, and they've done that.

"So, we come in with the utmost respect for this team that we're challenged against and playing against, so look forward to the matchup."

Denver and the Lakers squared their meetings in the regular season at two games apiece, with the Nuggets winning their most recent encounter on January 9.

Drawing firm conclusions from those results, however, is largely meaningless as the Lakers overhauled their roster in the mid-season trade window and James and Davis did not feature in the most recent January game.

Davis said the Lakers planned to pore over footage of the 2020 series in an attempt to design a game plan capable of nullifying Jokic and the Denver line-up.

"I think the biggest key will be making the ball find the guys we want it to find, just play off of that," Davis said.

While the Lakers have been red-hot through the playoffs, with Davis rediscovering his best form at the perfect time, James says he is under no illusions about the size of the task facing his team-mates.

"They've been the No. 1 team in the West for a reason," said James.

"They've played exceptional basketball all year. And we're going in with the utmost respect for their ballclub. They're very well coached and obviously we know the dynamic of what Joker [Jokic] brings to the game and also Jamal Murray, being back fully healthy. And the rest of those guys.

Jokic goes into Tuesday's series-opener in blistering form, averaging a triple-double of 34.5 points, 13.2 rebounds and 10.3 assists in the series win over Phoenix.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham described Jokic as "that monster in the Rocky Mountains that's waiting on us."

"You're talking about a two-time MVP, with a well-balanced squad, hungry, great synergy, great chemistry, great ability, athleticism, shooting, all of the above," Ham said.

"So, we're going to have our work cut out for us, but they gotta guard us too, so we're going to do our due diligence as we always do and be prepared for Game 1."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Nuggets take 3-0 lead over Timberwolves

LOS ANGELES -- The Denver Nuggets, fueled by a Nikola Jokic triple-double, beat Minnesota 120-111 on Friday to take a 3-0 stranglehold on their NBA Western Conference playoff series.

Jokic scored 20 points with 11 rebounds and 12 assists, and when he was limited by foul trouble in the third quarter his teammates kept the pressure on.

Michael Porter Jr scored 25 points to lead six Nuggets players in double figures and Denver's reserves out-scored the Timberwolves bench 29-10.

They kept the Timberwolves at bay despite a sparkling 36 points from Anthony Edwards, whose three-pointer early in the third pulled Minnesota within three points.

They were down by five with less than five minutes remaining, but couldn't break through.

Jokic, who led the league with 29 triple-doubles in the regular season, said he knows they'll be even more determined on Sunday to prevent a sweep on their home floor.

"We know they're going to go even more aggressive in two days," Jokic said. "So we just need to keep our composure and we know what to expect."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Nikola Jokic's big effort helps Nuggets hold off Clippers

Nikola Jokic had 26 points, matched his career best of 22 rebounds and also contributed eight assists as the visiting Denver Nuggets rallied to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 103-100 on Sunday night.

Will Barton scored 17, Davon Reed added 15 points and Austin Rivers and Monte Morris had 12 apiece for Denver.

Eric Bledsoe had 18 points and a season-high 10 assists, Brandon Boston Jr. also scored 18 points and Ivica Zubac recorded 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Terance Mann had 11 points and eight rebounds and Serge Ibaka scored 10 for the Clippers.

The Nuggets missed their first two shots of the fourth and fell behind 86-79 before Rivers drained a 3-pointer to end the drought. Los Angeles increased its lead to 91-82 on Amir Coffey's 3-pointer with 9:04 remaining but Denver found its offense.

Barton had a three-point play and a 12-foot jumper and Reed and Jokic hit buckets in an 11-2 run that tied it.

Zubac split a pair of free throws Jokic drained a 3-pointer to put the Nuggets ahead 96-94 with 3:50 to play. Barton made a layup after a miss at the other end and Rivers' second 3-pointer of the period made it 101-95 with 1:53 left.

A Denver turnover led to a 3-pointer from Luke Kennard to make it 101-100 with 19.7 seconds left. Jokic hit two free throws with 12.7 left and Boston missed a 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

Denver led by two after the first quarter but the Nuggets built a lead in the second. Reed hit a 16-footer and a 3-pointer and Bones Hyland made two layups in a 9-0 run that gave Denver a 46-35 lead. The Clippers got within six on Bledsoe's three-point play but Barton's five points put the Nuggets ahead 64-55 at halftime.

Denver continued to add to the lead to start the third quarter, going up 74-57 with 7:45 left but Los Angeles rallied.

Down 79-66, the Clippers scored 17 straight points while the Nuggets went cold for the final 5:34 of the period. They missed their final 12 shots and ended the quarter with two straight turnovers. Los Angeles outscored Denver 28-15 in the period.

-reuters

LeBron, Lakers back in NBA Finals after holding off Nuggets

The Los Angeles Lakers, fueled by a triple-double from superstar LeBron James, beat the Denver Nuggets 117-107 on Saturday to reach the NBA Finals.

With the win in the league’s quarantine bubble in Orlando, the Lakers completed a 4-1 victory over the Nuggets in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals.

James scored 16 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter as the Lakers remained perfect in elimination games this post-season.

Denver, already the first team to twice come back from 1-3 series deficits in the same playoffs, couldn’t work the magic again.

James added 16 rebounds and 10 assists, and Anthony Davis scored 27 points for the Lakers, who are back in the championship series for the 32nd time — and the first time since they lifted the trophy for the 16th time in 2010.

Kobe Bryant was NBA Finals MVP that year, and it has been an emotional road to the finals this season for the Lakers after the death of Bryant in a helicopter crash in January.

They will take on the winners of the Eastern Conference final series between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. The Heat lead that series 3-2 with game six coming up on Monday.

“We’re going to enjoy it tonight, but we understand we’ve got bigger fish to fry,” James said as the Western Conference title was celebrated on court. “We understand there’s a bigger goal.”

Nikola Jokic and Jerami Grant scored 20 points apiece for the Nuggets and Jamal Murray added 19 points with eight assists despite being slowed by injury.

Agence France-Presse 

Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic fined $25K for postgame comments

NEW YORK — The NBA has fined Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic $25,000 for using derogatory and offensive language during a postgame interview.

Jokic made his comments to the media following the Nuggets’ 108-107 overtime victory against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 31.


The fine was handed down Wednesday by league discipline executive Kiki VanDeWeghe.

source: sports.inquirer.net