{"id":50289,"date":"2023-05-16T12:33:57","date_gmt":"2023-05-16T16:33:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=50289"},"modified":"2023-05-16T12:55:07","modified_gmt":"2023-05-16T16:55:07","slug":"lakers-and-nuggets-three-keys-to-the-western-conference-finals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2023\/05\/16\/lakers-and-nuggets-three-keys-to-the-western-conference-finals\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakers and Nuggets: Three Keys to the Western Conference Finals"},"content":{"rendered":"

A much anticipated Western Conference Finals rematch will take place Tuesday night as two star-studded teams will come to meet again at the final doorstep between them and a shot at an NBA title. It will be a 2020 Western Conference Finals bubble rematch between the Nuggets and the Lakers. <\/span>What will be the keys for both teams in this series to punch their ticket to play on the NBA’s biggest stage?<\/span><\/p>\n

Lakers and Nuggets: Three Keys to the Western Conference Finals<\/b><\/h2>\n

1: Stealing a Game On the Road<\/b><\/h3>\n

The previous Western Conference Finals matchup saw the Lakers convincingly beat the Nuggets, taking the series 4-1. But, one factor was not present in this series\u2014home<\/em><\/span>\u00a0<\/em>court advantage.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

And yes, you could technically say the virtual fans were a home-court advantage. But in my eyes, they had no impact on the game whatsoever. I don’t believe one of the greatest players we have ever seen on the hardwood, LeBron James, was impacted by a screaming Denver fan on a virtual screen courtside. And he has a ring to prove this point.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, this go-around home court will undoubtedly play a part in who takes this series.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Lakers finished their regular season with a 23-18 record at home. And the Nuggets finished with an impressive 34-7 record on their home floor. Ranking second for the best home-court record in the league, one game behind the Memphis Grizzlies.<\/span><\/p>\n

And although the Lakers were just over .500 in the regular season at home, they have been lethal in Los Angeles in the playoffs. They have yet to drop a game at Crypto.com arena in the playoffs, winning all six of their games.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Turn over to the other side of the table at Denver, and they have yet to find themselves in the loss column, either. The Nuggets in the playoffs are also undefeated at home, winning all six of their matchups.<\/span><\/p>\n

If one of these teams can steal one game at their opponents’ venue and break the trend. That might be all it takes to win this series.<\/span><\/p>\n

2: Role Players Take Over<\/b><\/h3>\n

The additions both teams have made to the depth of their roster have paid extreme dividends.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Nuggets added all sorts of depth in the offseason, a<\/span>dding the likes of 26-year-old scrappy playmaker and defender Bruce Brown<\/a><\/strong>. Denver also acquired veteran shooter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope<\/a><\/strong> in a trade with the Wizards.\u00a0<\/span>Both of these players have made immense contributions in the playoffs. And both have had game-defining performances that have swung the Nuggets into the win column.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

The Nuggets are COOKING in the first half of Game 6 vs. the Suns.<\/p>\n

Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have of 55 of Denver’s 71 points. As a team, Phoenix has 45 \ud83e\udd2f pic.twitter.com\/Iw0KIKUVJb<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 12, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n