With one championship ring and a tenacious veteran core, the Denver Nuggets are a formidable opponent for any NBA team.

They’re definitely a nightmare for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, who are just one game away from an early summer as Denver extended its winning streak in their lopsided rivalry to an incredible 11 games.

Aaron Gordon scored a playoff career-high 29 points and 15 rebounds, Nikola Jokic had 24 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists, and the Nuggets advanced to the second round with a 112-105 win against the Lakers in Game 3 of their first-round series Thursday night.

Jamal Murray scored 22 points to help the Nuggets win their sixth consecutive playoff game over James and the Lakers in dominant fashion. Denver has rallied from a double-digit deficit in all three games, and the Nuggets went out of their way after Game 3 to compliment an opponent they had lately destroyed.

“I think every game is tougher and tougher,” Jokic remarked. “They were up 20 in Denver, and they were up 12 in the first half today, but I believe it’s extremely difficult to play against the same squad repeatedly. That’s a tremendously tough team, and each game is both fascinating and difficult to win. Every game, we’re playing catch-up, and they’re extremely talented. It’s quite difficult to close a team out.”

Michael Porter Jr. scored 20 points for Denver, which took control in the third quarter and cruised through the closing minutes to win its fifth straight road game over Los Angeles, dating back to the Western Conference finals last season.

“It’s fun to win games,” Porter remarked. “I don’t think anyone but the media looks at the 11 (straight victories), since it’s difficult. It is not easy to defeat this team. We had to scratch and claw to win the last game after falling behind by 20 points. So it isn’t easy. But, of course, we enjoy winning, and the more often we can win, the better.”

Game 4 takes place on Saturday night in Los Angeles. No NBA club has ever overcome a 0-3 playoff deficit.

Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 33 points and 15 rebounds, while James added 26 points and nine assists. The Lakers haven’t beaten the Nuggets since December 16, 2022, and have rarely seemed ready of breaking that drought.

“You come out with the mindset, ‘Let’s get one, force a Game 5, and then we go from there,’” he said. “As long as you have life, you must have belief. I basically think you play till the wheels come off. That’s what it’s all about for me. “That’s a mindset, and I know Davis feels the same way.”

Austin Reaves scored 22 points for Los Angeles, who advanced to the playoffs with mainly great performance since the holidays, culminating in an impressive play-in victory over New Orleans to secure the seventh seed. The Lakers had won 12 of 15 games entering this series, but they are now one loss away from missing the playoffs for the third time in four years, dating back to their 2020 NBA championship.

“They have championship confidence,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said of the Nuggets. “That starting group has been together for quite some time. As a starting group, their net rating is extremely high. “They had players step up and make plays.”

Davis and James were exceptional once more, but they cannot do it alone. In Game 3, the Lakers missed 15 of their first 16 three-point attempts, going nearly 34 minutes between them.

D’Angelo Russell was scoreless in 24 minutes of action for the Lakers, who received only two assists from their erratic third option on offense. Russell missed all seven shots, including six three-pointers.

Meanwhile, Gordon had the highest-scoring postseason game of his ten NBA seasons, including ten points in the third quarter as Denver took control. Jokic also made nine of his 13 shots, narrowly missing his 17th career postseason triple-double.

The second-seeded Nuggets started their title defense with two victories in Denver, pulling away late in Game 1 and stealing Game 2 with a thrilling comeback capped by Murray’s winning jumper at the buzzer.

After losing a 20-point lead in the second half of Game 2, the seventh-seeded Lakers were left upset, outmanned, and occasionally perplexed, according to Davis, who said the Lakers don’t always know what they’re doing when confronted with Denver’s offensive variety.

None of those issues were addressed in Game 3, and the Lakers are now one loss away from the conclusion of James’ incredible 21st NBA season. Los Angeles had not played a home game in 16 days and had only won once at home since March 24.

“Just last season, I was up 3-0 and ended up in a Game 7,” recalled Lakers guard Gabe Vincent, who played for the Miami Heat last season when they almost wasted a 3-0 lead against Boston. “Crazier things have happened.”

However, the Nuggets went 16-4 in the playoffs last season, and they appear to be capable of repeating that success after comfortably handling the elite Lakers through three games.

Russell’s disappearance was accentuated by another quiet game from starter Rui Hachimura, who scored five points and took four shots in 28 minutes.

Denver converted a tiny halftime deficit into a 10-point advantage with a 24-10 run to begin the second half, spearheaded by Gordon and Murray, who combined for 19 points in the third quarter. The Lakers never drew closer than eight points late in the fourth quarter.

While the Lakers’ fans were leaving the arena in the final minutes, a tiny group on the Lakers’ end screamed “Fire Darvin!”