3. The Denver Nuggets do not have the scoring capacity to beat the Los Angeles Lakers
The Denver Nuggets have not been a high-scoring team in the NBA Playoffs thus far. Denver ranks 11th in points per game in the playoffs with 106.8 and they are the lowest-scoring team remaining. We have already seen spurts where the Nuggets go long stretches either not scoring or hardly scoring.
They really have leaned on Jokic and Murray, who are averaging a combined 52.5 points per game. We already know that those numbers will be lower against the Lakers and the Nuggets just do not have the overall scoring prowess around those two to keep up with the Lakers.
Denver does have a really solid support cast but they don’t really have that third option that can have a big game, unless we count Michael Porter Jr., who is inexperienced and should be taken care of by a focused LeBron James.
That makes this an awful matchup for the Nuggets. They are a low scoring team that wins with their defense playing a team that is arguably better on defense (at least matchup-wise) and has more firepower offensively.
Only the Dallas Mavericks have averaged more points per game in the NBA Playoffs this year. Only the Heat and Celtics have allowed fewer points per game than the Lakers’ 105.2.
What makes that so impressive, though, is who they played. Nobody could slow down the Blazers’ offense in the bubble and the Lakers did just that. The Rockets averaged the second-most points per game in the regular season and the Lakers had their way with them.
The Lakers have already slowed down great offensive teams, they should not have much of a problem against the Nuggets. Denver ranked 19th in points per game in the regular season.
If the Los Angeles Lakers can limit two top-six offenses then they can limit the 19th-best offense in the NBA with ease.