NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: LAKERS VS. NUGGETS

May 20, 2023

LeBron James

Los Angeles Lakers

Game 3: Postgame

Denver Nuggets 119, Los Angeles Lakers 108

Q. From a leadership perspective, what's the message to your teammates right now, down 0-3?

LeBRON JAMES: I mean, just got to get one. Just one at a time. Just focus on Game 4, and you know, that's all you can really think about. I mean, obviously this game is over and done with. We had some opportunities but we didn't come through.

So just get ready for Monday and just got to get one. It's a one-game series for us. Every game counts, obviously.

Q. You guys had I think a one or two-point lead midway through the fourth --

LeBRON JAMES: One-point lead.

Q. And then they went on an 11-0 run --

LeBRON JAMES: We had back-to-back turnovers, they hit two threes, called time-out. That was the game.

Q. What did you see?

LeBRON JAMES: That was the game. We had back-to-back turnovers. After Rui made two free throws, we went up one and had back-to-back turnovers and they hit back-to-back threes, and made us take a time-out and we never got back in rhythm.

Q. This team has been in a fight-for-survival mode for months.

LeBRON JAMES: For sure.

Q. Has there been any buildup from that, in terms of like you guys having to be so locked in for, what, 40, 50 games?

LeBRON JAMES: Yeah, we still are. We still are. We have to come in obviously tomorrow and watch film and be disappointed and upset and whatever the case may be. And use that and use some of the miscues or whatever the case may be, and also some of the things that we did well to apply to Game 4. You know, that's all you can worry about.

Q. What is Denver doing in the series so far that's allowed them to be successful? You guys faced them in the Conference Finals a couple years ago; they have All-Stars; they have accomplished with their team. But where do you think the edge has been for them?

LeBRON JAMES: I mean, obviously Jamal was fantastic in the first half today. He got them off to a great start, and even with that, we were only down three at the half.

I think it's been the timely shots by their role players. Obviously I think the KCPs and Michael Porter Jrs. and Bruce Browns, even Jeff hit a big-time timely shot today when we were kind of going on a run. I think it's been the supporting cast that have kind of made those timely shots that's allowed them to kind of have the edge.

Q. You guys had "0.3 percent" written on the whiteboard very recently signifying your chances of making the playoffs; you did any ways. Obviously the odds of coming back from a 3-0 deficit are every tougher but is that belief still there?

LeBRON JAMES: I mean, it should be. I hope so. I can't speak for the guys right now because I don't know what's going on through all their minds right now. But I still do.

So you know, it's time to go right back home and start to refuel and start the treatment process and recovery process and get ready for Monday. My mindset is always locked in as if it's Game 1.

Q. Follow-up to that. The only way you can win this is to make history. You've made history so many times before. You know the game. Does that thought even cross your mind that that's the only way you can do it and you would like to make history again, obviously?

LeBRON JAMES: Of course. That's the only mindset for me for sure.

Q. What's the biggest challenge trying to defend Jamal Murray, with him in particular?

LeBRON JAMES: I mean, once he gets going, it's kind of hard to turn him off. I mean, obviously you know, he got going from the very beginning.

We watched one clip at halftime where we allowed him to see the ball go in because we didn't match up in transition. And early in the first quarter, and he had one from their left wing by their bench, wide open shot. And a guy that has that type of rhythm, and we all know, I mean, Jamal is one of those guys in our league that if you -- he'll run off 20 in a quarter or 30 in a half, and that's what he did tonight.

So everyone in our league knows that, especially when he gets going and he gets to bouncing and shooting the three-ball, shooting the mid-range, posting up smaller guards. He can score at all three levels of the game - from the paint, from the free throw line and also from the three-point line. You tip your hat. He's a hell of a player.

Appreciate it.