The First Round of the NBA Playoffs will continue on Monday night, and there is an interesting matchup in the Western Conference. The Denver Nuggets will look to advance to the Second Round with a Game 5 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Los Angeles was facing elimination in Game 4, but they were able to come up with a big win in order to keep their season alive. The Lakers still need to win three more games to advance, but they have at least given themselves the chance to get that done.
The Nuggets are the number two seed in the Western Conference this season, and they are also the defending champions. Denver wants to end this series as soon as possible in order to get some rest for the rest of the postseason.
Denver comes into this game as a 7.5-point favorite over Los Angeles, and the over/under line is set at 218.5 total points.
LeBron Leading the Lakers
LeBron James is still one of the best players in the league at this point of his career, and his 30 points in Game 4 proved that. LeBron does not want another season to end without a title, and you can expect him to play great again in this game.
The Lakers were finally able to make enough shots in Game 4 to pick up a win, and getting off to a fast start was another key. Los Angeles will need another great shooting game to keep their season alive, but they at least have some confidence.
Finding a way to defend the three-point arc will also be a big key for the Lakers as they have no answer for Nikola Jokic in the paint.
Denver Wants to Defend
The Denver Nuggets want to set the tone on defense in this game, but that part of their game was missing in Game 4. Denver had held the Lakers to 105 points or less in three straight games, and that will be the goal in this game.
Nikola Jokic had 33 points in the Game 4 loss, and he just continues to dominate every single matchup with the Nuggets. Jokic will need some help in this matchup, but his teammates typically shoot better on their home floor.
This Nuggets team has a ton of confidence every time that they take the floor, and they are always a much more dangerous team at home.
Nuggets Eliminate Lakers
LeBron James was not going to let his Lakers team get swept in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs, but winning one game was all that you can expect. Even if LeBron has another 30 points in this game, it’s not going to be enough to continue the series.
Denver has proven that they are nearly impossible to beat on their home floor, and there is now a sense of urgency to win this game. The Nuggets will get a huge boost from their home crowd, and they will set the tone early.
Bet the Denver Nuggets at -7.5 on Monday night as they finish off the series in dominant fashion.
