Three games into the Western Conference Finals, the Denver Nuggets have a commanding 3-0 lead on the Los Angeles Lakers. On Monday night, they will take the floor on the road with the opportunity to punch their ticket for the NBA Finals.
Despite being up 3-0 in the series, the Denver Nuggets are not taking anything lightly. Some groups would want to clinch a milestone like this on their home floor, but that isn’t the case with this squad. They understand what they’re up against and are leaving no margin for error.
Heading into Game 4, the Nuggets want to put the Lakers away for good. Part of why they want to end things now is because of who they are up against.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers & Denver Nuggets Updates
While talking about Game 4, Jeff Green spoke about facing off against LeBron James. As a former teammate of his, he knows how quickly the 19-time All-Star can turn things around. Because of this, he is encouraging his team to stay aggressive and not give LeBron any breathing room in this series.
“I mean, s— that’s LeBron man,” Nuggets veteran forward Jeff Green said Sunday after the Nuggets met and watched film at their team hotel. “He’s done some amazing things throughout these last 20 years. For me, we have to end it.
“It’s like you can’t continue to give him life. The more life you give him, the more confidence he gains and the more confidence he instills in his teammates. So for me, it has to end [Monday].”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers & Denver Nuggets Updates
Bruce Brown, who has been a big X-factor in this series, also spoke on ending things in Game 4. He doesn’t want the Lakers to have any sort of confidence by the conclusion of this series. “We want to give them no hope,” Brown said. “No confidence.”
Nikola Jokic clarified that it’s essential not to give James any hope to pull off a historic comeback. While the Nuggets superstar isn’t “scared” of that possibility, he has a healthy respect for who he is lining up against in the series.
“I mean, to be honest, I’m not going to say that I’m scared, but I’m worried because they have LeBron [James] on the other side and he is capable of doing everything.” Jokic said. “We’re going to come here with the same mindset, same focus, and I think that’s going to put us in a situation to win a game.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers & Denver Nuggets Updates
“But we never know. They’re going to be aggressive,” Jokic explained. “Of course, they’re going to be extra physical, extra — they’re going to run more, they’re going to — everything is going to be on a different level or one more of anything. So we will see.”
Based on these remarks, it’s clear the Nuggets remain laser-focused on their goal. Only time will tell if they’ll be able to sweep LeBron and company to secure their spot in the finals.
Want the latest in NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
