The Lakers are left on the canvas after losing at home against the Nuggets, who are one step away from the NBA Finals

Jamal Murray scored 37 points and former Laker Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 17, including several key baskets in the second half when Murray could finally be slowed down a bit, for the Denver Nuggets' 119-108 win over the Lakers Los Angeles, moving one win away from winning the Western Conference championship.

With the series 3-0 to Denver, Game 4 will take place Monday night in Los Angeles. The Nuggets will look for their first ticket to the NBA Finals and if they don't get it they will have three more chances.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Jeff Green and Bruce Brown made it 99-94 just after the Lakers had taken the lead midway through the fourth quarter. From then on the Nuggets managed their lead. Denver shot 41% (17 of 41) from three points. LA only went 10 of 30.

Denver dominated the fourth quarter 35-26 and this time the Lakers felt very empty down the stretch unlike of the first two games of the series.

Nikola Jokic went to the bench after committing his fourth foul with 7:24 remaining in the third quarter and his team leading by 4 points. The Lakers could not take advantage of his absence from him and the period ended with the visiting team still up (84-82), but at least LeBron James hit two straight three-pointers to end his long-distance drought.

However, James (23 points, 12 assists) didn't get much help from his cast except for Anthony Davis (28-18). D'Angelo Russell, for example, finished with 3 points (1 of 8).

Jamal Murray outscores the Lakers in the first quarter

The Lakers started cold on their shots and the Nuggets took a 32-20 first quarter lead thanks to a tremendous start by Jamal Murray (17 points).

Starting the floor with Davis, James, Vanderbilt, Russell and Reaves, Los Angeles made just 7 of 23 shots from the field in the period. Murray alone had more baskets (8 of 10).

In the second quarter, the Lakers got into an offensive rhythm helped by two 3-pointers from Lonnie Walker, but Murray continued to fire up, hitting three almost consecutive 3-pointers, even eluding the defense of LeBron James, who was trying to stop him.

Denver's star shooter finished the first half with 30 points (13 of 20) after 37 that he had in Game 2. The Nuggets went up at halftime 58-55. Things got better for Darvin Ham's team since Rui Hachimura was put to defend Nikola Jokic.

As usual, the party featured numerous celebrities, including Adele, Denzel Washington, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, Jake Gyllenhaal and Pau Gasol, who a few weeks ago had been in the arena to see his 16 shirt be retired and hanging on the heights next to Kobe Bryant's. Of course Jack Nicholson was not missing.