Nuggets psyching themselves up to sweep Lakers: “It’s a hell of a challenge”

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — A Game 4 doesn’t have near the buzz of a Game 7.

That doesn’t matter to the defending NBA champion Nuggets, who spent Friday psyching themselves up for Saturday night’s Game 4 against the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.

If they win, the Nuggets will sweep the Lakers out of the playoffs on their home court for the second consecutive year and advance to the second round. Last year, Nikola Jokic scored 30 points, snared 14 rebounds and dished off 13 assists as the Nuggets advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in team history with a tense 113-111 victory.

Saturday night, Denver expects a battle royale.

“We had to win four close-out games to win the championship last year, so our guys understand that,” coach Michael Malone said from the team’s hotel. “This will be the hardest game of the series, and the Lakers are not going to go out without a fight. We know that. They have Hall of Famers and all-time greats playing for them, and their backs are against the wall.

“So how do we trick our minds into becoming the more desperate team? The more urgent team? They are not going to just give this to us. If we are going close this out tomorrow, we are going to have to go into (their arena) and take it from them. It will be a hell of a challenge.”

The Nuggets have trailed by double digits in all three games of this series before rallying to win. Guard Jamal Murray, who won Game 2 with a jump shot at the buzzer, said his team has not come close to playing its best basketball. He said that the Nuggets better come closer on Saturday night because he expects the Lakers to come out fired up.

“No one wants to get swept — let alone twice,” Murray said. “The (Lakers are) such a big organization. They have diehard fans, and it’s always loud in there, and they’ll have a lot of energy and emotion. They’re playing hard.”

Murray didn’t mention that the Nuggets have beaten Los Angeles 11 straight times, but that’s certainly going to provide some payback mojo for the Lakers.

In last year’s Game 4, Murray scored 25 points for the top-seeded Nuggets, who overcame LeBron James’ 31-point first half and a 15-point halftime deficit to finish off the sweep.

James finished with 40 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, but he missed two shots in the final seconds. Aaron Gordon was officially credited with blocking James’ final shot at the buzzer.

After the game, James touted the Nuggets’ talent and teamwork.