On April 29, Beijing time, the NBA Western Conference playoffs pattern is still very chaotic, after the Thunder 3-0 Pelicans, there is no suspense in advancing to the semifinals, the Timberwolves will definitely eliminate the Suns, the Clippers drew 2-2 with the Mavericks, the two sides will compete for Tianwang Mountain, and the Lakers chased from 0-3 to 1-3, still retaining suspense. However, just today, the Nuggets suddenly announced that Murray was injured and didn't know if he could play in the next game, so the Lakers suddenly became bright, and if Murray couldn't play, it would be difficult to beat the Lakers with Jokic alone.
In the first 4 games, the Lakers fell behind 1-3, but judging from the course of the series, the Lakers could have played 2-2, and it was a pity that the Nuggets completed a 20-point reversal in the second game, and Murray hit the whistle to kill, if Lakers coach Ham was responding in time, the current situation would be completely different, and the Lakers might even eliminate the defending champion. But without ifs, the Lakers are still in a desperate situation, and they will be eliminated if they lose one more game. But Murray's injury has made the series full of suspense again, and as the second leader of the Nuggets, Murray's importance is self-evident.
The Nuggets officially announced that Murray has a calf strain, and his appearance in tomorrow's game is doubtful, and he may not play. Murray averaged 21.5 points, 5 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game in the playoffs this year, although the shooting rate was only 38%, and the three-point shooting just exceeded 20%, but as long as Murray was on the court, he would contain the Lakers' defense, so that the core of Jokic and Gordon would face much less defensive pressure, but if Murray was absent from G5, it was unknown whether the Nuggets could hold their home court. Once they lose G5, the Lakers have a chance to return to their home court to chase the big score to 3-3, and from now on, the Lakers' opportunity is here, and it depends on whether they can grasp it.
Russell of the Lakers also updated social media today, he called on teammates such as James and thick eyebrows to think calmly and be strategic in the face of strong opponents, "The calmer you are, the clearer your thoughts will be, and your behavior must be strategic, not emotional." Russell's performance in the first round was not stable, he was 0 of 7 in the series G3, his performance was too poor, and he became the target of public criticism, but when it came to the life and death battle, Russell scored 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting, and in the third and fourth quarters when the Nuggets chased points, Russell's accurate three-pointers were very timely, helping the team survive the more difficult period, and contributed a lot.
In tomorrow's game, Russell's play is still very important, and his ghost play also makes Lakers fans feel uncertain, the last game broke out, will the next game be sluggish? I believe that Russell will also take the initiative to adjust himself, and it will not be as bad as G3's performance. On the Lakers' side, James and thick eyebrows are likely to play, Van der Biao is doubtful, and the key to this game is what Murray's injury is, if he really can't play, the Lakers are likely to chase 2-3, perhaps many people are already expecting the Lakers to create a new history of the NBA playoffs, in the past 78 years, no team has been able to win 4 games in a row after falling behind 0-3, will the Lakers become the first? Let's wait and see.