The games still continue and things have become pretty heated. Now, we are down to our last 4 who are fighting for the chance to become the kings of their conference. This is also a reminder that our duration in the bubble is slowly coming to an end. 18 teams out of the 22 that played at the start of activities in the bubble have lost their spot in the league for this season. Let us take a look at match predictions for Thursday’s matches.
Our sole fixture for the day is Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets have, so far, not shown us the zeal that saw them through seven tough games with the Clippers. But they are just starting so one might hope they have a lot in store as the games unfold. The Lakers would waste no time to take advantage of the Nuggets’ flaws in coming games as they did in their last Friday’s games.
The Nuggets are an offensive, explosive, effective and entertaining team, spearheaded by Jokic and Jamal Murray. Jokic has been one of the more valuable players in the entire postseason, he has averaged 25.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game.
Murray has also been performing at an incredible level, as he averages 26.7 points and 6.3 assists per contest. The Nugget duo’s form have instilled fear into any opposition. The Nuggets currently rank in the top five of the playoffs in offensive rating, shooting efficiency and offensive rebounding, which goes to show that they have a balanced, effective attack.
The Lakers have been impressive on both ends of the floor in the postseason, with James and Anthony Davis headlining their performance. Davis is a tremendous defensive player and, statistically, is also productive offensively. He has averaged 28.5 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. While Lakers legend, James is arguably the game’s best player, as he averages 25.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game, and he is also a solid defensive presence.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis still continue to lead the Lakers strong like they have done before. James suffered a hit to the groin last week but he would be available for Thursday’s fixture. In the Nuggets, Jokic is still the hero and everyone expects him go spring a surprise this week. With the help of Jamal Murray, Jokic might lead the Nuggets to a turnaround on Thursday in Game 3.
