It’s time for the Western Conference Finals to move from the mountains to the beaches.
No more altitude excuses for the Lakers after Denver took a 2-0 series lead at Ball Arena this week. Game 3 is in the City of Angels on Saturday (6:30 p.m. MT, ABC). Here are three keys:
1. Aaron Gordon needs to see the ball go in: Defensive value aside, Gordon also averaged 16.3 points in the regular season — his best scoring campaign since 2017-18 — and continued a steady contribution of 15.1 points per game on 55.2% shooting in Denver’s first seven playoff games. Now, in the last six, his offense has dipped: 10 ppg on 39.3% shooting, including 16.7% from beyond the arc. Even after the Lakers gave Gordon plenty of space to shoot the 3 in Game 2, he fell to 0 for 5 this series and has gone three consecutive games without making a 3-pointer for just the third time this season. If that trend continues, the Lakers will be able to commit more double teams to Nikola Jokic in the paint without fear of perimeter punishment. Or maybe even mid-range punishment: Four of Gordon’s five made shots in Game 2 were dunks, the other a layup. He air-balled a 13-footer. The Nuggets need Gordon on the floor for his defense, but if he finds more of a scoring rhythm in Game 3, he’ll force Los Angeles to make more decisions.
2. Smell blood? Make the Lakers run: Since the first half of Game 1, the Western Conference Finals have no longer resembled a track meet. That’s advantage Lakers, a big reason both games at Ball Arena were so close. Even in a halfcourt-heavy second game, Los Angeles looked worn out down the stretch. The Lakers shot down questions of fatigue afterward, but LeBron James started pulling up and clanking contested 3s in the fourth quarter instead of bulldozing to the basket. He’s too smart to make the same poor decision multiple times, especially after an ill-advised 3-point attempt late in Game 1. Imagine how much more tired the Lakers’ closers will be in Game 3 if Denver has made them sprint the floor for 40 minutes.
3. Who’s on the sniper? Someone who is not showing signs of exhaustion: Austin Reaves. Improbably, this series is pointing toward Reaves being the go-to scorer in crunch time for Los Angeles. He’s shooting 5 for 17 in the first half through two games, but 10 for 13 in the second half. On Thursday, Reaves scored against almost every possible matchup in the second half. On the first designed play of the third quarter, Jamal Murray was guarding him but ran into a screen as Reaves cut for an easy layup. He got open for a 3 when Michael Porter Jr. got lost watching the ball. He shot-faked Gordon then sunk a step-back three. He banked one in Bruce Brown’s face. He drove around Jokic for a late bucket. What will the Nuggets try against Reaves at the important moments of Game 3? Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could be an interesting matchup change. He has guarded D’Angelo Russell more, but KCP’s minutes (25:39) dropped more than 10 from Game 1. Two fouls in the first six minutes didn’t help.
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