The 2024 NBA Playoffs are in full swing, and among the biggest subplots this year has been the ongoing dominance of the defending champion Denver Nuggets over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Following Friday’s Game 3 win, the Nuggets are once again up 3-0 on the Lake Show. Dating back to last season’s playoffs, Denver has beaten the Lakers 10 straight times.
Dating back to last year’s regular season, the number is stretched to 11. The last time the Lakers won in this head-to-head was December 2022, when Russell Westbrook was still with the team.
It’s been bad, to say the least.
It’s been so bad that known Lakers supporter in Kyt Jimenez has resigned to the fact that the Lake Show are taking the L in this series two years running.
“Talagang Laker fan ako, kay Kobe and LeBron,” Jimenez told One Sports.
The San Miguel rookie’s allegiance to the Lakers is quite literally obvious, decked in team gear when he was approached for his opinion on the current round 1 series.
“Pero sa nilalaro nila, ayun Game 1 and Game 2 maganda naman. Ako ine-expect ko panalo sila pero pagdating sa dulo kinakapos eh,” Kyt said.
“Tingin ko makaka-isa, [pero Nuggets in 5].”
True enough, it’s been reasonable to expect the Lakers to not be down 0-3 this year unlike in 2023.
In all three games so far, the Lakers have led by double digits, including a 20-point lead in the second half in Game 2. In all three games though, the Lakers crumbled under the immense pressure of an inevitable Nuggets comeback.
The dagger for the series seemingly came in Game 2, when Jamal Murray hit the buzzer-beating jumpshot over Anthony Davis. The shot to have Denver win 101-99 was the Nuggets’ first lead of the game since they started the opening seconds with a 3-0 advantage.
“It’s been great games all the way through, Jamal Murray hit a crazy shot in Game 2,” Meralco’s Chris Newsome said, when asked about the series.
“I thought the Lakers were gonna give it a closer fight in Game 3, but the same thing kinda happened. Started the game well but then the Nuggets are really good at making adjustments. I’m happy as a Nuggets fan,” he added.
Newsome noting on the same things happening in Nuggets-Lakers games certainly plays a part in the allure for this particular matchup.
All 10 games from last year’s Western Conference Finals up to the present have been practically just different variations of the same script.
The Lakers more often than not seize early control, or at least show flashes of brilliance when it’s the Nuggets that are the ones to start out strong.
Regardless, one thing has stayed the same. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and the rest of the Nuggets have won the endgame each and every single time.
But even as a Nuggets fan, Newsome believes that the Lakers might be due. But only due for a game win, it’s still Denver in 5, baby.
“I actually think it’s gonna be five [games],” he said.
“LeBron and AD, they’re not gonna go down without a fight, especially on their homecourt. But I do see the Nuggets winning in five,” Newsome added.
Joker not laughing
It might seem lopsided now, but the Nuggets-Lakers playoffs used to actually heavily favor the Lakers.
Up until last year, the Lakers were 7-0 in playoff series won against the Nuggets, including the 2020 Western Conference Finals that LeBron and AD won in five on the way to the NBA title.
But the Nuggets’ rise as a true NBA power and champion coincides with the rise of an all-time great in one Nikola Jokic. And for those who have been believers, this is sweet vindication.
“I’m a Jokic fan, I was a Jokic fan ever since. Even when people weren’t with him. I was a Jokic fan back when he was getting 10 minutes a game in Denver,” Magnolia’s James Laput said
"Just to see how he plays now is just amazing. Everyone looks up to him, I think especially big men. [Kevin] Quiambao like said he’s his idol too. But yeah, it’s gonna be tough for the Lakers to come back from 0-3,” he added.
Ever the playful Hotshot, Laput went ahead and said the Lakers are no longer making the trip back to Denver.
“Lakers getting swept,” he quipped.
“Sorry Jerrick Ahanmisi, and every other Lakers fan possibly in the country.”
Warriors fan gets in on it
The Nuggets are beating up on the Lakers so bad that even an unbiased outside force is favoring Denver.
San Miguel’s Marcio Lassiter is a true gold-blooded Warriors fan and could probably care less against his team’s main Western Conference rivals. But as a basketball junkie, it’s hard for him to miss the dominance.
“No way, I am not supporting any team but the Warriors. My team is out, so I’m supporting zero teams. Of the 16 teams [left] I’m supporting none of them,” Lassiter said, making it clear that it’s only Golden State of bust.
“I mean the way they’re [Lakers] playing it looks like it [sweep],” he added. “Jokic is a lot to handle, so they gotta figure that out. And the Lakers need a third guy to step up, if they could find the third counter while also stopping what Joker is doing, they could get Game 4.”