AP Photo/Jack Dempsey
After losing to the Denver Nuggets 119-108 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena, the Los Angeles Lakers are facing an uphill battle.
The Purple and Gold should win Game 4 on their home court despite being down 3-0 in the series to maintain their chances of winning the NBA championship.
Ham notified the media that the series was lost after being down 3-0. “The scenarios are what they are,” he said. “Hard, but not impossible.”
“The deficit is 3-0,” said Ham. Not 4-0. There is still chance as long as they have not reached 4. We are still here.
The Nuggets have dominated the Lakers in each of the first three games of the Western Conference Finals.
Jamal Murray finished the third game on Saturday with 37 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals in 42 minutes. In 38 minutes, Nikola Joki recorded 24 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1 steal.
Bruce Brown, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Michael Porter Jr. all finished with double digit scoring totals.
D’Angelo Russell’s performance in this series has been one of the biggest sources of frustration for the Lakers. In Game 3, he only registered 3 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists.
The 27-year-old struggled mightily in the first two video games, scoring 8 and 10 points, respectively.
In Game 4 on Monday on their home floor, the Purple and Gold will need to risk everything if they want to extend their season.