After being sidelined for a while with an ankle injury, Mo Bamba (25, 213 cm) will return for Game 4. Bamba, who joined the Lakers midseason, averaged 6.6 points (48.5% FG), 4.6 rebounds and 0.9 blocked shots in 15.7 minutes in 48 regular season games this season. However, he went down with an ankle injury to start the playoffs and has been on the injured reserve list since Game 2 and the Western Finals have been underway, but he has been slowly making progress and was able to return in Game 4.
The Western Conference Finals between Denver and the Lakers has been a one-sided affair, with Denver holding a commanding 3-0 series lead. The Nuggets are riding high on the one-two punch of Nikola Jokic (27, 211) and Jamal Murray (26, 190), with role players like Michael Porter Jr. (23, 208), Brave Brown (26, 193), Aaron Gordon (27, 203), and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (30, 196) all contributing on offense. (*Jokic and Murray are averaging a combined 62 points in the series).
The Lakers, on the other hand, are on the brink. One more loss and the season is over. The Nuggets have been thoroughly outplayed in the bench battle as well as in the one-two punch. Add to that their inability to control Denver’s explosive outside shooting, and you have a recipe for a three-game losing streak. The Nuggets are shooting a whopping 41.4 percent from three-point range this series, or an average of 15.3 attempts. The Lakers, on the other hand, are shooting just 33.7 percent from three-point range (9.7 attempts per game).
In what could be the final game of the season, the Lakers will need a boost from the duo of LeBron James (38, 206 cm) and Anthony Davis (30, 208 cm). Of the two, James is averaging 23.7 points (48.1% FG), 9.3 rebounds and 10.8 assists in this series. While those numbers aren’t bad on the surface, they’re a little disappointing considering what we expect from James in the PO. In particular, he’s in the midst of a severe shooting slump, shooting just 15.8% from three-point range. Of course, a general decline in fitness and a season-ending ankle injury will have played a part in this. But with no rebounding numbers in sight for the Lakers, it’s going to come down to the performance of James and Davis if they want to pull off an upset against Denver.스포츠토토
While Denver has certainly taken control of the series, taking Games 1 and 2 at home and Game 3 on the road in Los Angeles, can they carry that momentum into Game 4 and complete the sweep to advance to their first Finals in franchise history? Game 4 will tip off at 9:30 a.m. ET on May 23 at Crypto.com Arena, home of the Lakers. [Injury updates as of 7:30 a.m. ET on May 23]