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The Lakers finally beat the Nuggets. Is the NBA playoff victory a blueprint for more?

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LOS ANGELES – Lakers in seven, anyone?

LeBron James and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers did more than just avoid playoff elimination, ending an 11-game losing streak against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night. Their 119-108 win in Game 4 of the NBA first-round playoffs gives them hope heading into Game 5 on Monday in Denver.

Game 6 takes place on Thursday in Los Angeles.

Game 7 takes place on Sunday in Denver.

And, sorry, guys. Laker fever swept through Crypto.com Arena as if the Nuggets, the reigning NBA champions, were about to sweep the Lakers out of the playoffs for the second straight year.

“Wonderful day to be alive and stay alive,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said.

Could these Lakers survive long enough to become the first team in NBA history to win a playoff series from a 3-0 deficit?

As insane as it may sound, a look back at Game 4 provides a blueprint.

Throwing the ball in the basket – a lot

LeBron James arrived at his postgame press conference wearing a stylish white bucket hat. It was a fitting hat considering he made many stylish shots against the Nuggets – and with great accuracy.

The Lakers shot 52.2 percent from the floor (48 of 92) and the 119 points were their second-highest performance against the Nuggets in the last 12 games the teams have played.

James was spectacular with 30 points on 14-for-23 shooting.

Anthony Davis was outstanding with 25 points on 11-for-17 shooting and 23 rebounds.

But guard D'Angelo Russell made the difference. After his terrible performance in Game 3, in which he missed all seven of his shots, Russell scored 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting, including 4-for-8 from 3-point range. (In Game 3, he was 0-for-6 from 3-point range.)

“I’m trying to prepare now for these times when everyone is watching and everyone has something to say,” Russell said.

Darvin Ham had something to say

“I loved it,” the Lakers coach said after the game. “I told him (Russell) to go crazy. Be confident that you have been doing this your whole life. Get crazy and be aggressive.

“He looked at me and his little nickname for me is Big Dog. He said, 'I got you, big dog.' Got you.' “Shaked my hand, hugged me and did what he did tonight.”

The dreaded third quarter

The Lakers began the third quarter by missing their first three shots, and Lakers fans were certainly murmuring, “Here we go again.”

For the fourth straight time, the Lakers led at halftime – this time 61-48. But in each of the previous three games, the Nuggets had outscored the Lakers in the third quarter by a combined score of 91-60, giving them the win.

Russell said the Lakers made a “third-quarter adjustment,” including by emphasizing a good warm-up before the quarter began.

Not to mention the first three missed shots at the start of the quarter. The Lakers showed an energy and focus in the second half that they had previously lacked.

Russell said the idea was an attack. “We cannot sit on our heels and allow them to attack us,” he said.

Yes, Denver outscored Los Angeles 32-30 in the third quarter. But the Lakers entered the fourth quarter with an 11-point lead and confidence.

“We talked about it,” James said of the team’s struggles in the third quarter. “It’s been an Achilles heel for us all season.”

A solid third quarter was key, James said.

“That definitely helped us going into the fourth round and the fourth for me is just a mindset to try to finish it off,” he said.

James did just that, making two crucial plays in the final minutes to secure the victory.

What else went well?

Davis once again went head-to-head with Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets' star center almost achieved a triple-double with 33 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds. But Davis responded with 25 points and 23 rebounds. As a result, the Lakers outscored the Nuggets 46-40.

“Absolutely just dominant,” Ham said of Davis. “Dominant.”

The Lakers were able to avoid their signature bouts of demoralization that plagued them in recent games against the Nuggets. A bad shot that leads to two more goals, or a loss of possession that leaves players jogging instead of sprinting back on defense.

As James noted after the game, the Lakers gave up just 12 fastbreak points, five second-chance points and nine offensive rebounds.

“We had great performances against this team,” Ham said of the Nuggets. “We played good periods. We just never put the whole game together.”

But on Saturday they finally did it.

And to make history, they just have to do it three more times in a row.

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