The Los Angeles Lakers once again failed to hold against the Denver Nuggets and lost Game 3 of the 2023 Western Conference Finals.
The 17-time NBA champions had renewed hope ahead of this game as they had not lost a game at home this season.
Once again, Jamal Murray and co. Had different plans and didn’t shy away regardless of their opponents or the venue they played.
The Nuggets won 119-108 and put the Lakers in a difficult position.
After the match, Darwin Hamm shared his thoughts on the game, showing his confidence even when 0–3 down.
Lakers head coach Darwin Hamm after falling 3-0 to Denver:
“The deficit is 3-0, not four. While they haven’t been four yet, there’s still hope. We’re still alive.
Can Los Angeles make a comeback like never before? pic.twitter.com/KkZNWGvz6M
— NBA Buzz (@OfficialNBABuzz) May 21, 2023
Since the trade deadline, the Lakers turned their season around, even posting the best record in the West during this period.
However, as well as the first two rounds played, things changed against the No. 1 seed in the conference.
The Nuggets have proven throughout the season that they are a dangerous team and they are hungry to win it all.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray know they’ve been overlooked throughout the season, and now they’re playing with a chip on their shoulder.
LeBron James shared Ham’s sentiment, claiming they were still in contention to win the series.
However, history is against the Lakers. They have trailed in the series eight times before and have never won a game, sweeping each time.
It is the first time since 2013 that the Lakers are down 3-0 in a playoff series.
The Lakers have never won a playoff game after losing 3-0, let alone winning the series.
His 0–8 record is the most losses without a win in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/nql2tvsptW
– ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 21, 2023
Furthermore, they are the 150th team to be in this position and none of the other 149 teams could win their respective series.
Game 4 could be a consolation prize for the Lakers, but everything points to the Nuggets taking this series and making it to the NBA Finals.
next:
Colin Cowherd calls 1 Lakers player a ‘disaster’ in Nuggets series