On April 29, Beijing time, in yesterday's playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Nuggets at home to avoid the embarrassment of being swept, and at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning, the Lakers will usher in the fifth game of the series with the Nuggets, which is a life-and-death battle for the Lakers who fell behind 1-3. However, before the battle of life and death, the Lakers ushered in two good news.
The first good news: just now, the Nuggets officially announced that guard Murray has a left calf strain, and G5 is doubtful. Murray's injury was actually justified, as he covered his left leg with his hand after making a mid-range throw with 8:36 left in the fourth quarter of the previous game. However, the Nuggets trailed by 11 points at the time, so Murray did not rest and continued to play.
For the Lakers, if Murray doesn't play, it's definitely very, very good news. Why the Lakers led 70% of the time in this series, but ended up falling behind 1-3, has a lot to do with Murray's outburst in the fourth quarter, and the second game was killed by Murray. Without Murray, the Nuggets' Yomu can't block and shoot, and the Lakers' defensive pressure will be much less.
Of course, Lakers fans are not so recognized by the news of Murray's injury, thinking that this is the smoke bomb released by the Nuggets, and he will definitely play in G5. Because for the Nuggets, they definitely don't want to drag on the series, especially if Murray is injured, and they need a quick decision.
The second piece of good news: Vanderbilt may be back in G5. Just today, the Lakers updated the team's injury list, and Vanderbilt's situation has been escalated to doubtful, which means that there is a 50% chance of playing. Vanderbilt's comeback must be a relief for the Lakers, and if Vanderbilt is there, Porter Jr.'s shooting may not be explosive, at least in terms of height.
Of course, Vanderbilt's role is not only to play against Porter Jr., but also to a certain extent in rebounding protection, and on the offensive end, Vanderbilt's air cut can also enrich the Lakers' tactics.