The Los Angeles Lakers are facing an embarrassing defeat via a four-game sweep against the Denver Nuggets, and if not that, almost certain elimination at some point in this Western Conference finals series. Teams just don’t come back from a 3-0 deficit, and if and when they are ousted, one has to ask some questions about what direction LeBron will take from here.
As BetOnline patrons know, the Lakers won a championship with LeBron when he forced a trade for Anthony Davis and filled in with a lot of veteran talent in specific roles. But with a 43-39 record this season, which actually landed them in the Play-In Tournament, it looks like it could be near the end for this group.
LeBron is no stranger to moving from one place to another, so it would be no surprise if he went elsewhere. He is contracted for another year with the Lakers and has a player option for the 2024-25 season. Remember that he would like to play in the NBA with his son Bronny, who is going to college. If he’s a one-and-done, that could put them together in 2024, and perhaps to a lesser team, where LeBron may be able to force the issue a bit more.
For now, there’s Game 4 to worry about. And the Lakers have been at the mercy of the Nuggets and their smooth chemistry, which is the product of an offense that runs right through Nikola Jokic, who puts up sensational numbers but is nonetheless completely unselfish and the ultimate creator from the pivot.
The Lakers will need better three-point shooting from LeBron, who has hit three for 19 from beyond the arc. Will his shot selection improve?
Here are the pro basketball betting odds that have been posted on Game 4 at BetOnline. The action begins at 8:30 PM ET at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles:
Los Angeles Lakers -3
Denver Nuggets +3
Over 224.5 Points -110
Under 224.5 Points -110
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Maybe the difference in this series is that the Nuggets don’t have any runaway egos. Michael Malone is an old-school basketball guy whose father, Brendan, coached at Power Memorial in New York (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s alma mater) and then was a head coach in the NBA.
But the Lakers have gotten a ray of light from someone who’s come out of nowhere. Austin Reaves, an unsung and undrafted player out of Oklahoma who averaged 13 points in the regular season, has exploded in this series, averaging 22.7 ppg and hitting 56.5% of his treys; he has filled the vacuum left by the slumping D’Angelo Russell, who has made just eight of his 27 shots from the floor.
Meanwhile, Denver is showing exquisite balance, and Jamal Murray (35 ppg) and Jokic, as mentioned above, who’s averaging a triple-double, lead five players tallying at least 14 points per game. At this point, no single Laker defender has been able to slow Murray down, so they’ve needed to run doubles, and if you let Jokic exhibit his versatility, you’ve got troubles.
The Lakers would like to play to their strengths, which involves getting to the free-throw line. That is an area in which they’ve excelled, with more attempts than any other team. And they have hit 84% thus far in the series.
Let’s get realistic; the Lakers mean business for the networks and the NBA. And we know that officials have done certain things to extend an NBA playoff series or two. Let’s put it this way – if it’s a choice between the Lakers getting the short end of the stick or the vast majority of the brakes, they’re going to get the calls. And that will allow LeBron and his team to go into battle one more time beyond this.
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