By Daniel Paiz

The streak ends at 11 consecutive wins, as the Denver Nuggets fell short Saturday night in LA losing 119-108. Nikole Jokic recorded another playoff triple double with 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists. Michael Porter Jr. added 27 points and 11 rebounds, and Jamal Murray scored 22 points despite a bad shooting night percentage wise (9 of 23). Aaron Gordon didn’t have a great game, and the Nuggets bench combined for just five points. Game 5 is Monday, April 29th back in Denver.

LeBron James scored 30 points, Anthony Davis had 25 points and 23 rebounds, and the re-emergence of Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell scoring 21 apiece led to LA avoiding the sweep. When those two score like that, LA becomes much harder to beat. That leads to a few keys to focus on for Game 5.

Keys to Game 5

42 to 21

This is the amount Reaves and Russell scored combined for LA in Game 4, versus what Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored in Game 4. When LA’s other guys score like this, it helps LA keep it close or win. When Denver’s Gordon and KCP chip in some points, it keeps it close or gives Denver a clear edge. Interestingly enough, only Game 3 has had Gordon and Caldwell-Pope score more combined than Reaves and Russell; this to me indicates LA cannot win without these two having a big night. Denver needs their two to get involved, especially with Gordon getting rebounds.

13 to 5

Bench points again went in Los Angeles’ favor, largely due to Taurean Prince adding nine points. Denver had nobody from the bench play more than 13 minutes (Peyton Watson) and the bench went a combined one of nine from the field. one adjustment Denver might want to make when it comes to the bench is playing DeAndre Jordan as backup for Jokic, as he tends to grab rebounds; Denver’s bench had a total of four rebounds. There also might be a need to play Christian Braun or Watson a bit earlier as well, so the second unit rotations gel a bit more when Murray and Gordon join them.

First Quarter starts

Denver has scored 25, 24, 23, and 23 points respectively in four first quarters so far in this series. There has to be more urgency, there has to be more attack from Denver’s offense in Game 5. Conversely, the Nuggets have to pressure LA on defense with that same intention, ideally to cause turnovers, to get stops, and to get the transition game going. A faster paced game at Ball Arena will almost certainly play into Denver’s favor and tire out the visitors. Bounce back games tend to happen after a loss for the Nuggets. That trend must continue, and Denver needs to come out running on Monday.