A huge blow for the Denver Nuggets as the Los Angeles Lakers managed to secure an unbelievable Game 4 victory. Nikola Jokic also had a stellar performance recording a triple-double. However, it wasn’t enough to withstand the defensive beating the Lakers gave them. Denver had a comparatively slow start to Game 4, allowing the Lakers to outscore them in the first half.
“I learned in horse racing it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”
Nikola Jokic gives perspective on the Nuggets’ starts & finishes in Round 1. 😅 pic.twitter.com/Gc1H6oJt67
— NBA (@NBA) April 28, 2024
Jokic addressed the issue during the post-game press conference saying, “I mean, of course, we want to win. But I learned in horse racing, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. And we didn’t finish today very well. So, hopefully, we can do a better job. But yes, we want to be up and control the game but seems like that didn’t happen to us.” During the second half, Denver outscored LA in both quarters but the early deficit was what held them back.
LeBron James certainly had a better ending than Nikola Jokic in the fourth quarter
Nikola Jokic was absolutely right about finishing a game strong to get a win and that is exactly how LeBron James treated the final quarter of Game 4. During quarters one to three, James only had 16 points. LA was in the lead regardless, but not by a massive margin. The 4x NBA Champion scored 46% of his points in the fourth quarter alone finishing with 30 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. He also shot an efficient 14-23 from the field but failed to sink a few open looks from deep.
Most PPG in the 4th quarter of the 2024 Playoffs:
10.0 — LeBron James
9.3 — Tyrese Maxey
9.0 — Delon Wright
8.7 — Joel Embiid
8.7 — Anthony Edwards
8.0 — Kyrie Irving
8.0 — Nikola Jokic
7.8 — Jamal MurrayOldest player in the association. pic.twitter.com/UhT5yqKVoe
— BronMuse (@BronMuse) April 28, 2024
James is the best fourth-quarter scorer in the 2024 NBA Playoffs averaging 10 points per game. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray rank seventh and eighth respectively in that category. The 20x NBA All-Star also became the oldest player to record 30-5-4 along with 3 steals in a playoff game. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recorded a similar stat line at age 37.
Nikola Jokic cannot allow the Lakers to overcome a 3-0 deficit
It is a secret that no team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in the history of the game. Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets held the Lakers to an 11-game losing streak which began during the Western Conference Finals last season. James himself has never lost so many times against a single team in his career. Jokic and his squad are the defending champions, so to lose after a 3-0 lead would view Jokic’s legacy in a bad light.
LeBron has also been in a similar situation in the past, so the pressure he feels right now is quite familiar. During the 2016 NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers came back from a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors to win the title. Until then, no team ever came back from a 3-1 deficit. While it is possible to win four games consecutively, historically no team has ever been able to pull off a 3-0 comeback. The 151-0 record stands untouched for teams with a 3-0 lead.