NBA (DR)
A year after a sweep, Lakers and Nuggets meet on Saturday night to launch their first round of the playoffs.
But for LeBron James and others, the past no longer matters.
It’s time for revenge for the Lakers. After the sweep last year against Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets, Darvin Ham’s men want to reverse the trend to reach the next round.
It clearly won’t be easy against the champions, but anything seems possible if LeBron James and Anthony Davis are in great shape. One thing is certain: respect is real between all parties.
Respect between Lakers and Nuggets
In training this Wednesday, Jokic increased the compliments for LeBron , who remains a problem at 39 years old.
For the Serb, this series promises to be very difficult, like last year according to him.
The King will appreciate it, he who is also a fan of the Joker’s exploits. In front of the media, he also released some praise.
LeBron James on Nikola Jokic : “When you have the ability to score at will, it makes your passes even more dynamic. We’ve had some great passers in the history of this league.
We had great players who were very unselfish.
But if that’s all you can do, teams can force you to score and take that away from you.
Guys like Luka (Doncic), Magic (Johnson) in his prime, the Joker, myself, if you try to take away our passes, we can still be effective. This is what makes us so dynamic. »
Preventing Jokic from making his passes will therefore not necessarily be the solution for the Lakers, especially when the double MVP is also good at scoring.
This will require a big collective effort, with Anthony Davis undoubtedly motivated by this challenge.
In any case, the series promises to be very interesting to follow, whatever the outcome.
LeBron on the Nuggets : It’s a great team, but we know what we’re capable of. This match is played between four lines, and that’s all that matters. »
LeBron James is ready to do battle against the Nuggets, as is Nikola Jokic. A sweep?
It remains a possibility, but the Lakers intend to shake up the existing hierarchy in the West.
