Denver Nuggets Los Angeles Lakers Game 4 Predictions
Written May 25, 2009 by Jason Lowry
After struggling to take care of the Nuggets on their home floor in the first two games, the Los Angeles Lakers went into Denver and stole game 3 103-97. The Nuggets had a 8-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, but were outscored 32-18 in the final period of play. Kobe Bryant once again put the Lakers on his back, as the all-star dropped in 41 points to go along with his 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Pau Gasol was a little more effective in game 3 with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Trevor Ariza continues to play at a very high level in this series, scoring 16 points and coming up with another huge steal late in the game. For the Nuggets Carmelo Anthony led the way with 21 points, but had just 3 points in the second half. Chauncey Billups had a solid game with 18 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds, while the inside duo of Nene and Chris Anderson combined to score 28 points for the Nuggets. J.R. Smith reached double figures with 10 points, but was ice cold from the field hitting just 4 of 15 from the floor. The series stays in Denver for game 4, and its a must win for the Nuggets, who can not afford to fall down 3 games to 1 with the series headed back to LA for game 5. Here is a look at what I think each team needs to do to win this game, plus my prediction on who comes out on top against the spread.
What the Lakers have to do to win: When Kobe Bryant puts up 40+ and the rest of the Lakers come to play, the Lakers are going to be a very tough to beat. It seems as though Bryant will have to continue to score a ton of points if the Lakers are going to win this series, so his performance will play a huge role in whether or not the Lakers win game 4 or not. Gasol gave the Lakers a much more effective inside threat in game 3, and win he plays well the Lakers rarely lose. Ariza has really stepped up his game in the postseason, and with Lamar Odom struggling to get it going, the Lakers really need Ariza to keep playing well. Defensively the Lakers were a little sloppy at times, but really picked it up in the 4th quarter and did a very good job at making sure Anthony didn’t match Bryant’s scoring. With Denver in a near do or die situation it will be interesting to see if the Lakers come to play in game 4, as many questioned their effort in similar games against the Rockets. Bet the Lakers +4.5 to win game 4 at Sportsbook.com.
What the Nuggets need to do to win: For starters, the Nuggets are not going to win very many playoff games with Carmelo scoring just 3 points in the 2nd half, as the Nuggets need his scoring, especially late in the game. The reason Anthony is so important is Bryant is doing an excellent job against Billups. The 28 points between Nene and Anderson was huge for the Nuggets, but 26 of those points came in the first half. I think for the Nuggets to get back on the winning track they not only need a big game from Anthony, but J.R. Smith has to be more effective coming of the bench. If the Smith is going to hoist up 15 shots, the Nuggets need him to come away with more than 10 points. It looks as though the Nuggets don’t have much of an answer for Bryant defensively, and I think they should just live with Bryant putting up 40 points and put more focus on keeping Gasol from having a big game. I think if the Nuggets keep Gasol under 20 points they will win the majority of the games, as the rest of the Lakers besides Ariza are simply not having that great of series. Bet the Nuggets -4.5 to win game 4 Sportsbooks.com.
My Prediction: Nuggets -4.5. Denver has had their chances to win all 3 games of this series, and I don’t think they let LA come on to their home floor and beat them two straight. The fact that the Lakers pretty much rolled over in games similar to this against the Rockets is reason enough to take the Nuggets in this one.
For those of you looking to do some NBA betting on the game today, be sure to check out our expert NBA picks and grab the latest NBA odds at Betfirms.
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