It’s the last week of April and the Los Angeles Lakers are still alive in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. But that’s not the type of success they can celebrate. If they are to make it to May and keep their flickering title hopes alive, they need to win Game 5 this Tuesday in Mile High City. Will the Lakers extend the series with another win? Or, will the Nuggets punt LA into the thin air of Colorado?
Catch this game live on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 at 10:00 AM, Manila time
Away: Los Angeles Lakers (1-3)
Projected Starting Five:
- D’Angelo Russell
- Austin Reaves
- LeBron James
- Rui Hachimura
- Anthony Davis
The Lakers lived to play at least another game in the 2024 NBA Playoffs after finally ending their brutal losing streak to the Nuggets last Sunday. With LeBron James leading the charge, the Lakers took down Denver at home in Game 4, 119-108. The four-time league MVP pounded out 30 points on 14/23 shooting from the field, while Anthony Davis came up with a monster double-double of 25 points and 23 rebounds in the win.
D’Angelo Russell also continued his hot-and-cold pattern in the series with a 21-point performance in Game 4 after laying an egg in Game 3. He can’t let that trend continue in Game 5, with the Lakers’ season on the line again. For what it’s worth, Russell played great the last time the Lakers were in Denver, as he had 23 points with seven 3-pointers, albeit in a 101-99 loss in Game 2. Austin Reaves has also played much better in the last two games during which he had 43 points; he only had 22 points in the first two games of the series.
Home: Denver Nuggets (3-1)
Projected Starting Five:
- Jamal Murray (Questionable)
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
- Michael Porter Jr.
- Aaron Gordon
- Nikola Jokic
The Nuggets should still feel safe about their chances of advancing to the next round. The odds remain very much in their favor. However, they might have to win Game 2 without Jamal Murray or with the guard not at 100 percent on the floor. Murray is labeled questionable to play with a left calf strain at the moment for Game 5, which isn’t ideal for Denver which is looking to finally get rid of the Lakers.
If Murray gets ruled out, Reggie Jackson will likely get the nod to start. Either way, Nikola Jokic will have to carry most of the load for Denver just because he’s been unstoppable in the series. Jokic posted a triple-double of 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists while shooting 10/20 from the field in Game 4. So far in the first round, the two-time MVP is averaging 29.0 points, 15.3 rebounds, and 10.0 assists. The Lakers beat Denver in Game 3 but it was not because they found a solution to Jokic.
Picks
Spread: Denver Nuggets (-7.5)
Over/Under: Over (217.0)
