Watch Denver Nuggets @ Los Angeles Lakers Game 5 live on Sky Sports Mix (Ch 416) and Main Event in the early hours of Sunday morning (2am); TNT pre-game build up live from 1am, also on Mix
Saturday 26 September 2020 18:09, UK
LeBron James can reach a landmark only achieved by three players in NBA Finals history if the Los Angeles Lakers can close out their Western Conference Finals series against the Denver Nuggets.
James has the chance to reach the NBA Finals for a 10th time, a feat achieved by only three greats of the game. Anthony Davis is on the verge of his first. The final step for the Lakers shapes up as the toughest.
They have to knock out the Denver Nuggets, who have been on the brink of dismissal from the NBA bubble six times and every time refused to go.
"You can never be comfortable around this team," Davis said. "They have been in this situation twice. We have been in the situation twice. But both teams are familiar with these situations, but this team is not going to go away."
Game 5 takes place in the early hours of Sunday morning (2am), live on Sky Sports Mix (Ch 416).
The Lakers have ended both their series thus far in five games. But the Nuggets were also down 3-1 against both Utah and the LA Clippers, fell far behind in Game 5, and then battled back to not only win the game but eventually the series.
No team had ever erased two 3-1 deficits in one postseason and now the Nuggets need to do it for a third time. It's a predicament they could have avoided, if they had made one more defensive stop in Game 2 or given up a few less second-chance points in Game 4.
"These are all close games we are playing," guard Jamal Murray said. "Going to keep battling it out."
Murray was sensational again in Game 4, though James slowed him enough down the stretch after taking on the defensive assignment to help the Lakers pull out a 114-108 victory.
One more win, and James ties NBA career scoring leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for third on the career list with 10 NBA Finals appearances. Only Hall of Famers Bill Russell (12) and Sam Jones (11) of the Boston Celtics have gone to more.
It would be James' first with the Lakers after five appearances in Cleveland and four in Miami, and the Lakers' first trip to the finals since winning the last of their 16 championships in 2010.
James and Davis have been the unquestioned catalysts of this run, and they have had good strong support from some playoff-tested veterans.
Dwight Howard had 12 points and 11 rebounds on Thursday night in his first start of this postseason, helping send Los Angeles to their overwhelming 25-6 advantage in second-chance points. Rajon Rondo contributed 11 points and moved into eighth place on the career list with seven more assists.
"In the postseason, every possession is so important," James said. "When you can have guys that have been in the moments and can understand and also be able to make adjustments on the fly, and know that you can count on them down the stretch, it just makes the team and you individually feel so much more confident in the outcome."
The younger Nuggets don't have those type of veterans, but they have the experience of this historic postseason run that could have ended on August 25, the night of Game 5 against Utah. A month later, they are still at Disney World, still trying to prove that hope is not lost until four games are.
"I think people out there probably think this is exactly where we want them. It's not. We would much rather be up 3-1, but it is what it is. We put ourselves in this position," Denver coach Michael Malone said.
"Our team has shown tremendous resiliency and grit in getting out of these before. I have no doubt that we'll bring that same fight to (Game 5) and hopefully we can keep this series alive."
If they do, Game 6 would take place in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
If not, the Lakers will be preparing to face Miami, in their first appearance since James left in 2014, or the Celtics, their greatest rival whose record of 17 NBA titles they could equal by winning the 2020 title.
The Lakers won't think about any of that until the Nuggets are finally gone.
"Like I said last game, we have got to put them away," Davis said. "They are going to continue to fight, no matter what the score is, no matter what the situation is. We just have to make sure we counter everything they do."
Watch Denver Nuggets @ Los Angeles Lakers Game 5 live on Sky Sports Mix (Ch 416) and Main Event in the early hours of Sunday morning (2am); TNT pre-game build up live from 1am, also on Mix
