Denver Nuggets: 3 keys heading into Game 3 against the Lakers

1. The Denver Nuggets need to keep their defense tight

If we look past the missed assignment on the Davis game-winner, Denver played a fairly solid game defensively. The Lakers put up 113.4 points per game in the regular season and upped that average to 114.3 through 12 playoff games, so holding them to 105 is a step in the right direction.

Game one was an atrocity from a defensive standpoint, and while the Nuggets improved in game two, there are areas they can still improve upon.

In the series opener, Los Angeles torched Denver for 126 points, and the Lakers made their money in transition. 12.7 percent of Los Angeles’ points came on the fast break and 19.0 percent were off turnovers, and off turnovers alone, the Lakers had 24 points. Moreover, players like Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope frequently leaked out for easy twos, even on made baskets by the Nuggets.

The Lakers also scored 42.9 percent of their buckets in the paint, however, Denver is severely outmatched inside in terms of size. It’s a tall task to limit the buckets that Davis and James will get inside, but it’s not an unreasonable ask for the Nuggets to sprint back after every offensive possession whether it resulted in a make, miss, or turnover. You can’t demand more height, but you can insist on more hustle.

In Game 2, Denver actually turned the ball over more, but they limited what Los Angeles did off those turnovers as Los Angeles only had 7.6 percent of their points on the break and 14.3 percent off turnovers. Additionally, they had several great defensive possessions down the stretch, forcing the Lakers into non-ideal looks at the tail-end of the shot clock.

Aside from team defense, slowing down Davis will be key, and by field goal percentage, Paul Millsap has actually been the most effective for the Nuggets despite being significantly shorter. Through 9:51 of matchup time through the first two games, the most on the Nuggets, Millsap has limited Davis to 4-13 from the field and he’s only fouled Davis in the act of shooting twice.

While we can’t expect Davis to be entirely contained, limiting him to a sub-30-point game is crucial to a Game 3 victory.