Nuggets news crypto vs2/28/2024 There will be a robust discussion about Russell's value to the Lakers this offseason, when he will be a free agent. (2015 to 2017), making Brown's taunt a continuation of the trash talk he has directed at Russell, who has struggled mightily and is now minus-53 in this series. Russell was the first to popularize that gesture during his first stint in L.A. Among them was a backbreaking 3-pointer with 7:02 remaining to stretch the Nuggets' lead to 99-94 and effectively end the Lakers' rally.īrown sensed it too, turning to the Lakers bench with an "ice water in my veins" motion. Brown, the other key offseason acquisition for the Nuggets, continued to make his mark on this series with 15 points off the bench. "We have that resilience, that dog mentality, where no matter if we're up or down, we're going to continue to fight and play our game."Īfter that steal, Caldwell-Pope handed the ball off to Murray, who found a streaking Bruce Brown for an easy tip-in to extend Denver's lead to 75-71. "I learn a lot about this team every time we play," Caldwell-Pope said. Not only did he score 10 points in the third quarter as the Nuggets held off a furious Lakers rally, his steal of D'Angelo Russell's ill-advised crosscourt pass with 4:19 remaining in the period was one of the most deflating plays seen inside Arena all season. The team even sent him to the podium after Saturday's Game 3. During his time in L.A., he was mostly known - in the words of general manager Rob Pelinka - as "manna from heaven," because signing him as a free agent helped pave the way to land James as a free agent in 2018.Ĭaldwell-Pope's defensive contributions and 3-point shot-making were often taken for granted, and very little was said when he was included in the Russell Westbrook deal with the Washington Wizards in the summer of 2021.įor Denver, though, he is a critical role player. No player exemplifies the change between the two franchises since their last conference finals matchup more than Caldwell-Pope. The Nuggets are too deep to send double-teams at Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray each possession (although Murray's 30-point first half certainly strained the credulity of that choice). The Nuggets have gotten stronger, deeper and healthier this season, while the Lakers have expended so much energy trying to recreate the team they had in 2020, they seem to be running out of gas at exactly the wrong time.ĭenver is too good to lose a turnover battle 12-5, as the Lakers did Saturday, and expect to beat them. But through three games, the background story of this rematch has been how differently each has spent the two seasons since that playoff clash. Led by LeBron James (second in 2020 MVP voting) and a defensive trio of Caldwell-Pope, Anthony Davis and Alex Caruso, the Lakers had been the best team in the conference when play stopped in mid-March.Īnd all of that showed during their championship run inside the NBA's Orlando Bubble, where they beat the Nuggets in a hard-fought, five-game conference finals.Īt the time, it felt like it would be the first of many playoff battles between the two teams. "If we weren't with each other, we were in the group chat. "I feel like we were the only team that stayed together during that COVID time," Caldwell-Pope told ESPN after scoring 17 points for the Denver Nuggets in Saturday's 119-108 win against the Lakers, which gave his new team a commanding 3-0 lead over his old team in the Western Conference finals. But one important memory is how close he and his Los Angeles Lakers teammates stayed. That time in his life and our world still affects us. General ones, such as working out at private gyms to stay in shape as the NBA world tried to figure out a way to continue its season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. and playing video games with his teammates. LOS ANGELES - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has memories of the summer of 2020. Lakers reminded of ill-fated 2021 trade as they trail Nuggets 3-0 You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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