Nuggets vs Lakers: How Jokic and Gordon Led the Charge in Game 3.

 Nuggets vs Lakers: How Jokic and Gordon Led the Charge in Game 3.

Nuggets vs Lakers: How Jokic and Gordon Led the Charge in Game 3.

LOS ANGELES — If you get swept twice in two years, what do you call it — getting sucked?

That's the humiliating situation the Lakers found themselves in against the Nuggets, unfathomable when you think about it. Not only is it rare for a team to be repeatedly swept in this fashion, but we're talking about LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

But just like last year in the Western Conference Finals, the Nuggets have the Lakers in a headlock and are about to get bent out of shape. After giving L.A. another double-digit lead in the first half — the Lakers also led by 12 in Game 1, by 20 in Game 2 and by 10 after the first quarter in Game 3 — it was just another cruel joke.

Denver’s 112-105 victory Thursday was its 11th straight win over the Lakers (in the regular season and postseason) and gave the defending champions a 3-0 lead in the first-round series.

Here are the five key takeaways from Game 3:

1. Lakers were mentally drained:

That’s how the Lakers started Game 3: Dunk by Anthony Davis, dunk by Rui Hachimura, dunk by LeBron James. Spirited, aggressive and - let us just say it - angry.

And this is how the Lakers ended Game 3: limp body language, LeBron dribbles out with his knee, D’Angelo Russell misses an open 3-pointer and gets boos (and later refuses to participate in the timeout huddle).

This team simply collapsed. They didn’t hit any long-range shots (5of 27), couldn’t hold onto a first-half lead and gave the home crowd no reason to hope.

One wonders to what extent the past played a big role in what happened Thursday, to what extent the Lakers’ dismal recent history against the Nuggets sapped them of confidence.

Oddly enough, the last six playoff games have been contested. This one wasn’t after three quarters. So maybe the magnitude of it all weighed on L.A. after all.

Russell shot 0-for-7 and went scoreless in 24 minutes, Davis (33 points) finished with just three points in the fourth quarter and the Lakers’ defense collapsed on offense. These are signs that they are beaten.

“We kind of lost sight of the attention to detail we had in the first half,” LeBron said.

2. Lakers try to get Jokic in foul trouble:

And you know what? It worked. Davis picked up two quick fouls in the first five minutes of the game against Jokic, who already had three by the start of the third quarter.

But it didn’t work. The Lakers did not capitalise when Jokic either (a) played passively to avoid more fouls or (b) left the game.

In the past, the Nuggets have been vulnerable whenever Jokic was off the floor, so being aggressive early was a good strategy by Davis. But Denver didn’t give up. Michael Porter Jr, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon stepped up. 

And when Jokic took a break in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter, the Nuggets’ lead … grew.

“There’s a confidence that comes with being champions,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “Every time we fall behind, we don’t panic, we stay together and find different way to get back in the game. Winning a championship has given this group a tremendous amount of confidence.”

3-When Gordon Goes Hard, the Nuggets Get Tough: How Denver's Forward Changes the Game:

The Nuggets' secret to success lies in the pick-and-roll plays between Murray and Jokic, the powerhouse duo responsible for last season's championship victory. Their combination of a nimble guard and a dominant big man is enough to break down any defense.

However, there's another key to victory, and that's involving Gordon. When he adds a presence in the paint by catching lobs and backdoor passes from Murray and Jokic, he creates scoring opportunities with his powerful dunks.

In Game 3, Gordon used this strategy to outmaneuver the Lakers, who inexplicably left him unguarded or failed to box him out. He set career playoff highs with 29 points and 15 rebounds. Such a performance might be rare in the playoffs, but if he can consistently contribute at this level, Denver becomes unstoppable.

"Aaron Gordon was just incredible," remarked Coach Malone.

4. Nuggets Finally Play Their Best Game:

That should send chills through the rest of the league. Apart from the first eight minutes, the Nuggets dominated the entire game.
They didn't rely solely on Jokic and Murray either, with four players scoring 20 points or more. This was Denver's first "complete" win of the series, where nearly everyone who stepped onto the court made a significant contribution.
The Nuggets leveraged their chemistry to create open shots and easy layups. Plus, their defense was stellar during key moments across the first three games.

"It's like we have telepathy with this group," Gordon remarked. "We have a mind meld with the starting five.

And Jokic, who came just one assist shy of a triple-double?

"He's a genius who just happens to play basketball," Gordon said.

5. Lakers with a defeat after a long summer:

So the Lakers need to make it four wins in a row against a team that has beaten them 11 straight times, including four in a row last summer in the West Finals and three in a row in this series.

In other words, mission impossible — especially since teams that trail 0-0 in a best-of-seven series have a combined 0-151 record. Which players will stay and which will go, and whether this is the end of coach Darvin Ham? That’s all irrelevant, because there’s only one question: What does a loss in this series, especially if it’s a sweep, mean for LeBron’s future and his attitude? Since James signed with the Lakers in 2018, this franchise has been about championships or demise. They have done it once. As great as he's played this season, LeBron will turn 40 in December. At some point, the big drop will come. He has a player option for next season. Most likely he’ll decline it and accept a two-year contract extension. And then there’s the elephant in the room — could the Lakers sign his son Bronny (as early as June?) Does LeBron think the Lakers will ever be good enough to beat the overachieving Jokic - and this as someone who found himself in the SoFi play-in tournament and eliminated in the first round?