After losing consecutive games on the road, the Denver Nuggets are hoping that playing a return home will right the ship against the Los Angeles Lakers. The two teams continue their seven-game series on Friday night at the Pepsi Center with Game 3.
Denver played much better in Game 2 than Game 1, but the result was ultimately still the same and now the Nuggets are looking at an essential game on Friday. Trailing 3-0 would put them in an essentially impossible position, but a win could allow them to get back into the series.
Stopping Kobe Bryant (34.5 PPG on 49 percent in first 2 games) and Andrew Bynum (18.5 PPG, 11 RPG) will be key, but improving on offense is also a must. Mike Brown's defense has done an impressive job of limiting Denver's diverse offensive attack so far, limiting it to just 94.0 PPG in the series so far after averaging 104.1 PPG in the regular season.
Game Date & Time: Friday, May 4, 8:30 p.m. MT
TV Coverage: Altitude, ESPN
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more on these teams, visit Nuggets blog Denver Stiffs and Lakers blog Silver Screen and Roll. Head over to SB Nation NBA for more news and notes on the 2012 NBA Playoffs.