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Nuggets swingman Michael Porter Jr. may be in the middle of an NBA playoff series, but it didn't stop him from starting the podcast mics after their win in Game 2. In a short and casual recap of the series so far, Porter Jr. got real on the importance of being up 2-0 and discussed the mentality of his team heading into Game 3.
"It's going good and the Lakers are a good team, they were up 20 yesterday," said Porter Jr. "Then Jamal hit the game-winner and that was a great win because going to L.A. tomorrow up 2-0 is a lot different than being tied up 1-1."
The Nuggets were down big in the second half and the Lakers looked to be in full control as the game entered its final stretch. But thanks to a fourth-quarter push, they stormed back from 20 down to give themselves a shot at the buzzer. It was Jamal Murray who delivered the game-winner for Denver despite shooting 34% from the field.
"That's one thing that I respect in a player. Jamal was missing shots all game and then in the fourth quarter with five or six minutes left in the fourth quarter, he took over and hit the game-winner," said Porter Jr. on his podcast. "If you can have a bad game all game and still have the mental strength and the confidence to keep shooting, that's like a sign of a great player."
The Nuggets ripped the Lakers' heart out on Monday and now they head into Los Angeles on the verge of a 3-0 series lead. With no answers on how to stop Nikola Jokic or the late-game heroics of Jamal Murray, the Lakers have to hope the Nuggets beat themselves in order to have a chance in the series.
Right now, Denver just looks completely unphased and unintimidated by LeBron James and the crew, and they have no reason to be after their 4-game sweep over them last season.
Will The Denver Nuggets Go Back-To-Back?
The path to the NBA Finals this year is harder than ever, especially in the West. Teams such as the Thunder, Timberwolves, Clippers, Mavericks, and Suns are all considered contenders and all of them have at least two stars leading the way this season.
In the case of the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are the engine that keeps them moving and they are proving to be near unbeatable when they've got it going at maximum efficiency. Of course, with arguably the best cast of role-players in the league, the Nuggets also have guys like Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to fill in the gaps and provide all the crucial components of a championship team.
In the first round, with the series on the verge of being out of reach, the Nuggets are going to go all-out for Game 3 on Thursday. A win there will ensure they advance to the next series, which will either be against the Minnesota Timberwolves or Phoenix Suns. It remains to be seen how the brackets will shake out in the West but the Nuggets are still the team to beat despite falling to 2nd in the standings.
As long as the defending champions are fully healthy, they will be the biggest obstacle to the title and it's clear they are feeling very confident about their odds to make history and become the first team to go back-to-back since the Golden State Warriors from 2017-2018.
More must-reads:
- Three stars from Saturday’s NBA playoffs
- Watch: Anthony Edwards does it all for Minnesota
- The 'Highest career PPG in the playoffs' quiz
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