NBA Playoffs: Los Angeles Lakers vs Denver Nuggets Game 4 WCF Injury Update, Lineup and Prediction

The Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets will lock horns once again on Thursday night for WCF Game 4. Although the Lakers still hold a 2-1 lead over Denver, Game 3 was a forgettable experience for them.

Not only did the Lakers lose the matchup, but the Nuggets also out-rebounded them by 19! The three big-men disappeared on the defensive end for the team. Moreover, the Nuggets’ role player truly dominated the LA bench in scoring.

Jerami Grant was a huge factor in the Nuggets’ victory as he scored a playoff career-high 26 points. And like always, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic were the backbones for their victory.

The only positive pointer for the Lakers was a great comeback effort in the fourth quarter. Heading to the fourth quarter, the team was trailing by 20 points. But, at one point they reduced the lead to mere 3 points. Unfortunately, they couldn’t overcome Denver and Murray put the game to bed with an insane three-point shot.

Los Angeles Lakers injury update and lineup predictions

Following the Game 3 defeat, the Lakers have a few concerns to take care of. While LeBron James is still listed as probable from groin issues, Alex Caruso and Danny Green both join him in the list. Caruso experienced some discomfort in his right wrist, while Green has a left ring finger injury.

However, none of the injuries are too lethal and the players will most likely play through them. So the predicted lineup for the Lakers is LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Danny Green, JaVale McGee, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Denver Nuggets injury update and lineup predictions

With a huge Game 3 victory in the books, the Nuggets have brought themselves back in the series. They were nearly automatic from every spot in the victory, and Jerami Grant played a huge role in the triumph.

As far as injuries are concerned, there are no new additions on Denver’s injury list. Will Barton will miss the entire Western Conference Finals and there are no reports of his return soon. So the predicted lineup for the Nuggets is Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Paul Millsap, and Jerami Grant.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Denver Nuggets Game 4 WCF predictions

Despite the Nuggets being dominant in Game 3, they might not overcome the mighty Lakers in the next few games. For starters, it’s very rare to see the Lakers being out-rebounded by such a huge margin. Moreover, they almost made a comeback after entering the fourth quarter being down double digits.

If the Lakers play with the same motivation and pace, the Nuggets might struggle in future games. So, the Lakers should bounce back and put Game 4 in the bag.

What do you think? Will the Lakers increase their lead to 3-1 or will the Nuggets tie the series two games apiece?