SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs are in position to take a commanding lead in the best-of-seven series against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday evening.
The Spurs won Game 3 on Thursday, 118-108 and with a Game 4 win, they would go up 3-1 headed back to Denver.
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Derrick White scored a career high 36 and said Friday that his parents were in town, so he is really trying to enjoy it.
In order to enjoy Game 4 as much, he is going to have to be ready for a more deliberate Nuggets team.
"They are going to come out hungry, come out aggressive so we just have to be ready for their physicality," said White.
Exactly what the Nuggets were thinking and talking about Friday, that is how they are going to get back into the series.
"We have to be more physical, more aggressive, come out with a sense of urgency in Game 4," said Nuggets guard Gary Harris.
White can expect things to be different when it comes to the Nuggets defense on him. Now that the defense knows he can go off, it should make some adjustments and pay a little more attention to him.
"I would," said Rudy Gay, " I played for coach (Mike) Malone, I know he is going to change up something."
But it will still be a challenge.
"He's been in a rythm. His confidence is at a high right now, rightly so. He can't be so comfortable out there," Harris said.
"It is not going to be easy to stop Derrick. He is a great player, but go ahead, go ahead and try," Gay said.
"He had the easiest 36 points he's ever had and that can't happen," said Malone.
Malone also wants to see more physical play by his team when it comes to getting rebounds. The Spurs out-rebounded the Nuggets by nine in Game 3.
"The rebounding -- as we are ball watching, they are moving bodies. We have to get into a mindset instead of ball watching when a shot is taken. Hit the nearest jersey. Drive them out," Malone said.
The Nuggets are even considering making a lineup change.
"All options are on the board," Malone said. "If we have to make a lineup change, we'll do so if we stay with the same lineup, if we feel that will give us our best chance, we'll, stay."
After his 36-point performance in Game 3, White heard from the folks back home in Denver.
"'I hate that you are doing this to our team,'" was the message. White's reaction: "It's all good."
Another win would make it even better.