With an eye on improving their halfcourt offense against what has been a tenacious Los Angeles Lakers defense, Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl has decided to give center Timofey Mozgov the start in Game 3 over Kosta Koufos, who had been in the starting line up for the series' first two games. JaVale McGee had been seeing the lion's share of the minutes at center despite both coming off the bench, but Karl decided tonight that he wanted Mozgov in the game early, and presumably, often.
Koufos was a non-factor offensively in games one and two, scoring only two points combined. Mozgov was especially efficient in Game 2, scoring six points on 3-5 shooting in just 11 minutes while only turning over the ball once and only picking up a single foul. Mozgov may be a slight defensive downgrade from Koufos, but the Nuggets are looking to turn up the heat offensively after two lackluster performances.
Here's the full starting line up for Denver in Game 3:
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.
Koufos was a non-factor offensively in games one and two, scoring only two points combined. Mozgov was especially efficient in Game 2, scoring six points on 3-5 shooting in just 11 minutes while only turning over the ball once and only picking up a single foul. Mozgov may be a slight defensive downgrade from Koufos, but the Nuggets are looking to turn up the heat offensively after two lackluster performances.
Here's the full starting line up for Denver in Game 3:
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.