Mark Jackson says he'd cancel Lakers-Nuggets Game 4 if he were Adam Silver: "Throw in the towel"

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The Denver Nuggets took a 3-0 series lead against the Los Angeles Lakers with a Game 3 victory on Thursday. While they still need one more win to eliminate L.A., the Nuggets look like a lock to advance to the second round not only because they are playing well but because the Lakers have run out of gas in the second half of every game.

According to Mark Jackson, that’s because the purple and gold can’t implement their strategy for four quarters. They have always shown that they could play at a high level but have not been able to sustain it through the entire contest.

“It’s got to be 48 minutes of Lakers basketball of executing the game plan discipline on both sides of the floor,” said the former head coach on The Mark Jackson Show. “They got careless again. It got reckless, started taking some bad shots, going away from the offense that had been so effective early on in the ball game. They got away from executing defensively, rotating, communicating, forcing guys to take and make bad shots, staying connected to the shooters.”

No need for a Game 4

The Lakers were once again off to a very strong start in Game 3. But that, according to Jackson, was because the Nuggets allowed them to hang around early on to make the game look competitive. Once they decided that it was time, Denver turned on a switch and dominated the Lakers.

With how easy the defending champions make it look, Jackson says the series is unquestionably over and Game 4 will just be a ‘phantom’ contest.

“If I was commissioner for one day, there would be no Game 4,” added Jackson. “I’d just cancel it. If I was commissioner for a day, I’ve seen enough. Throw in the towel. We should treat this like boxing. Just throw in the towel. Somebody in the stands should be able to have the power to throw in the towel and say it’s over because they are not fighting. They are not committed to living to see another day, Their energy, their effort, their enthusiasm, is all lacking and they are down 3-0 because of it.”

You play until the wheels fall off

But while Jackson—and probably the rest of the world—agree that the series is over, Game 4 will be played on Saturday night in Los Angeles. And despite everyone counting the Lakers out already, LeBron says it’s not over until the wheels fall off.

“It’s one game at a time at this point… As long as you still have life, then you always have belief; you play until the wheels fall off. That’s what it’s always about for me as a mindset,” James said.

Although “The King” isn’t ready to wave the white flag, no team in NBA playoffs history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit. The Lakers will try to be first to do it, but given how good the Nuggets have played, anything but a sweep would be a surprise.