NBA News Update: Kendrick Perkins still backing LA Lakers to win series in 5, Gilbert Arenas talks about the impact of LeBron James' mind games
By winning Game 3, the Denver Nuggets kept their chances in the series alive as they now trail the LA Lakers by just one game in the Western Conference Finals. The Nuggets dominated right from the first quarter as they ended LeBron James and crew's six-game winning streak. However, former NBA player Kendrick Perkins doesn't seem bothered by the LA Lakers' collapse last night. In this article, we'll take a look at Perkins' reaction to Game 3 along with other NBA news updates.
NBA News Update: Kendrick Perkins asks the fans to not overreact after LA Lakers' Game 3 defeat
Kendrick Perkins had recently claimed that the LA Lakers might win the Conference Finals in four straight games. After a disappointing loss in Game 3, Perkins was visibly upset about the Lakers' first-half performance.
However, this morning on ESPN's 'Get Up,' Perkins maintained that the LA Lakers are going to win this series comfortably. Big Perk said:
"I still got the Lakers in 5. Let's not overreact. And I got the Lakers winning by 10 or 15 points tomorrow night."
Despite Anthony Davis and LeBron James playing well in Game 3, the rest of the LA Lakers' roster had a disappointing outing. It'll be interesting to see how the No.1 side in the West react to this loss as they take on the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 on Thursday night.
NBA News Update: Giannis Antetokounmpo named among TIME's 100 most influential people
One week after the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo was awarded the 2019-20 NBA MVP award, there's some more good news for the Greek Freak. He was recently named among the '100 Most Influential People of 2020' by TIME.
NBA legend Kareem-Abdul Jabbar wrote a special piece for TIME explaining why Giannis deserves to be on this prestigious list. Kareem felt that this is just the beginning for the Milwaukee Bucks player and more records and accolades are going to come his way in the coming years.
NBA News Update: Gilbert Arenas talks about LeBron James' mind games
In a playoff series between the Washington Wizards and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2006, Wizards' Gilbert Arenas missed two crucial free-throws towards the end of the game. Before he missed the free-throws, LeBron James came up to him and said a few words, which ultimately distracted Gilbert Arenas.
In a recent interview, Gilbert shed light on what transpired after the game. Gilbert said:
"I sat in the gym, took two-three thousand free throws. I took it a step further and went with a guy named Frank in San Francisco who trains military, Black Ops special, all mental stuff."
Post this incident, Gilbert Arenas went through rigorous mental training to make sure he stays focussed in the future during clutch moments.
Also read: NBA News Update: Marcus Smart explains real reason behind locker room outburst with Boston Celtics teammates