Nikola Jokic compiled 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists as the visiting Denver Nuggets moved one win away from the Western Conference semifinals with a 112-105 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.
Aaron Gordon added 29 points with 15 rebounds as the Nuggets grabbed a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Jamal Murray scored 22 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 20 points and 10 rebounds to help the Nuggets extend their winning streak over the Lakers to 11 games. The run includes seven consecutive playoff victories, as Denver swept Los Angeles in last year’s conference finals.
The Nuggets, who are the reigning NBA champions, can move into the next round as early as Saturday in Game 4 at Los Angeles.
Anthony Davis logged 33 points and 15 rebounds and LeBron James produced 26 points and nine assists for the Lakers, who are on their first losing streak of at least three games since the start of the new year, when they were in the midst of a four-game skid.
Los Angeles closed the regular season with 11 wins in the final 14 games, then beat the New Orleans Pelicans in a play-in game.
Austin Reaves finished with 22 points while D’Angelo Russell did not score in 24 minutes for the Lakers, who held a lead at halftime in every game of the series, including a four-point advantage at the break on Thursday. Russell was 0 of 7 from the floor and 0 of 6 from 3-point range.
The Lakers brought some much-needed desperation early, taking a 33-23 lead through one quarter by holding the Nuggets to 39.1 percent shooting from the floor. Denver hit 44 percent from the field in the second quarter and trailed 53-49 at halftime.
The Nuggets turned a 9-0 run early in the second half into a 69-61 lead and grabbed their first double-digit lead of the game at 81-69 with 2:35 remaining in the third quarter on a 3-pointer from Reggie Jackson.
The Nuggets lost Jackson to a sprained left ankle with less than two minutes later, and he did not return.
Denver entered the fourth quarter with an 83-75 lead, and a step-back jumper from Porter put the Nuggets up 97-86 with 6:54 remaining. The Nuggets weren’t threatened from there.
The Lakers shot 5 of 27 (18.5 percent) from 3-point range. The Nuggets had a 51-38 rebounding advantage.
