The Lakers managed to keep their NBA playoff hopes alive on Saturday with a 119-108 win over the Nuggets, led by LeBron James who scored 30 points.
LeBron James and the Lakers were down 3-0 against the defending champions and facing elimination, but they held strong on their home court. Despite a triple-double from Nuggets‘ star Nikola Jokic, the Lakers managed to win and send the series back to Denver for game five. LeBron James scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. This win marked the Lakers’ first victory over Denver in 12 games since December 2022. Anthony Davis contributed 25 points and an impressive 23 rebounds, while Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell each scored 21 points. Jokic had a stellar performance with 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists, but it wasn’t enough to lead the Nuggets to victory.
The top-seeded Celtics in the Eastern Conference bounced back from a surprising home loss to the eighth-seeded Heat by defeating Miami 104-84 in a game that gave them a 2-1 series lead. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 22 points, with Tatum also contributing 11 rebounds and six assists as the Celtics controlled the game from start to finish. Kristaps Porzingis added 18 points and Derrick White had 16 for Boston, who limited the Heat to their lowest point total of the season.
The Celtics led 21-12 after the first quarter and had a strong second period with 42 points, leading by 24 at halftime and extending their lead to 29 in the second half. Miami, who made only nine three-pointers compared to their 23 in the previous game, will look to regroup as they host game four on Monday.
The Thunder dominated the Pelicans in New Orleans with a 106-85 victory, extending their lead in the Western Conference series to 3-0. Without Zion Williamson due to a hamstring injury, the Pelicans struggled to contain the young Thunder team led by Gilgeous-Alexander, who had an impressive performance with 24 points, five rebounds, and eight assists.
The Thunder made 17 three-pointers and increased their lead to 24 points in the fourth quarter after being up 60-46 at halftime. Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey each scored 21 points for the Thunder, while Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans with 19 points and CJ McCollum added 16. However, the Pelicans struggled with their three-point shooting, making only nine out of 32 attempts, and committed 21 turnovers.
In another location, the Orlando Magic defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-89 to even out their Eastern Conference series at two games each. Franz Wagner led Orlando with 32 points as they outplayed Cleveland in the latter half of the game. The Cavaliers only managed to score 10 points in the third quarter and 29 in the entire second half, enduring a scoring drought of over six minutes.
