In Game 3 of the first-round playoff series, the Denver Nuggets swept with a 112-105 win over the Lakers in their Western Conference first-round matchup on Thursday night.
Nikola Jokic added 24 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists as the Nuggets are one win away from their second consecutive playoff series sweep over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Nikola Jokic on 11 straight wins vs the Lakers:
"I think it’s really hard to play against the same team over and over again. You kind of get bored with the style of the play. So you just need to just trust what we are doing and don’t get bored with success. Because it can go… pic.twitter.com/i6b2uePVkD
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) April 26, 2024
He told reporters after the game that “winning is a lifestyle for us” and he doesn’t want to go back to when the Nuggets were struggling early in his career.
Nuggets star Jokic shared, with The Denver Post, what it is like to have a dominant run against the same opponent.
“To be honest, I think every game is tougher and tougher. You can see, they were up 20 in Denver, in Game 2. They were up 12 today in the first half. But yeah, I think it’s really hard to play against the same team over and over again. You kind of get bored with the style of the play or whatever. So you just need to, especially for us, because we won the last three, just trust what we are doing and don’t get bored with success. Because it can (go) wrong really quick.”
The Lakers have lost in seven consecutive playoff games to the Nuggets and 11 straight overall starting back from February 2023. This was the third straight game in the series that the Lakers led by at least 10 points,
After a 20-point lead in Game 2, the Lakers led by 10 at the end of the first quarter on Thursday, however the Nuggets, dominated in the second half.
Jokic, the two-time MVP, scored one assist shy of his second straight triple-double but put up 24 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists. The Denver will look forward to closing out the Lakers in Game 4 at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
