Melissa Rohlin
FOX Sports NBA Writer
LeBron James could be on the verge of another first, though not the kind he’ll wax poetic about through a proud grin.
After the Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Denver Nuggets in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday, 112-105, there’s a chance James could get swept in consecutive postseasons for the first time in his 21-year career. The Lakers trail the series 3-0, following the Nuggets sweeping them in the 2023 Western Conference Finals.
It begs the question: Where do the Nuggets rank among the toughest opponents James has faced?
“It’s definitely one of the better teams that I’ve played in my career,” said James, who had 26 points on 12-for-20 shooting, six rebounds, nine assists and two steals. “But to rank it right now, that would be too hard. I’ve played against a lot of great teams. This is a great team. And I’ve played against a lot.”
What’s clear is that the Lakers can’t seem to crack the Nuggets’ code despite often looking as though they’re finally going to punch their way out of the quicksand.
In Game 1, they led by as much as 12 points. In Game 2, they blew a 20-point advantage, with Jamal Murray making a game-winning buzzer-beater to twist the knife in the purple and gold’s heart. And in Game 3, they once again squandered a 12-point advantage.
The Lakers can play this team closely, but they’ve ultimately fallen apart in the second halves, with the Nuggets outscoring them 177-135 over those periods. Offensive rebounding and 3-point shooting have been issues. And ultimately, the Nuggets just seem to have more guys who are playing well on any given night.
In Game 3, LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined for 59 points while the rest of the Lakers’ starters had only 27. Meanwhile, Nuggets starters not named Nikola Jokic or Jamal Murray outscored their superstar counterparts, 54-46.
“This team is definitely well-equipped, well-prepared, well-coached,” James said. “They do not have a weakness offensively. Every guy that they put on the floor, especially the starting lineup, they have been one of the best starting fives in our league over the last few years.
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“They’ve got shot makers. They have playmakers. They have guys that can rebound and assist and things of that nature. So they always try to keep you at bay.”
The Nuggets are strong, deep and stunningly dominant, so much so that it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they became the league’s next dynasty — least of all Nuggets coach Michael Malone, who exclaimed at the championship parade last June, “Let’s do this s–t again!”
There’s Nikola Jokic, a two-time MVP who perennially seems to set the bar on every advanced stat. There’s Jamal Murray, who has yet to make an All-Star team but is one of the best postseason performers in the league. And there’s a cast of role players, from Aaron Gordon to Michael Porter Jr. to Kentavious
