This has been greater than a nasty matchup; it’s been practically a assure.
After being swept within the 2023 Western Convention finals, the Lakers added dimension and muscle whereas constructing round an current core to attempt to match the Denver Nuggets a season later.
These modifications ended up mattering so little, Denver profitable all 4 regular-season conferences and shedding simply as soon as within the first-round playoff collection between the groups final season. That defeat led to the Lakers making one other change, this one on the sideline, with JJ Redick changing Darvin Ham as coach.
And getting into Saturday’s first recreation with Denver this season, the Lakers regarded like a staff that had righted a few of its wrongs. They might, undoubtedly, be extra ready for what Denver was going to throw at them, after that had been a priority gamers voiced privately final season. They might, undoubtedly, play with confidence regardless of a ghastly late loss to Orlando on Thursday after a barrage of missed free throws within the remaining minutes.
They have been getting again a starter, Rui Hachimura, and the Nuggets would once more be with out one in every of theirs, Aaron Gordon. And, as a result of Denver performed Friday night time, the Lakers could be the extra energetic staff with all the things to show towards a foe that has simply dominated them.
An excessive amount of had modified for it to in some way stay the identical. Proper?
Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell hits Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther within the face as he grabs a rebound within the first half Saturday.
(Mark J. Terrill / Related Press)
However as Anthony Davis slumped after lacking a floater over Nikola Jokic throughout a disastrous third quarter, and the Nuggets raced again up the ground, the stench of familiarity crammed the Lakers’ house area.
Everybody was proper to be involved because the Lakers regarded lifeless — the Nuggets have been on a roll in a 127-102 win and the Lakers, of all groups, certain weren’t going to be those to cease them.
And even when the Lakers coach noticed it otherwise, the outcomes have been the identical.
“I have a pretty clear idea of what happened in the third. But whatever it was, it was not because we were haunted of the ghosts of the past or something like that,” Redick stated. “It was kind of obvious to me what happened there. Just not the right spirit.”
Russell Westbrook, who entered the sport to boos off the Denver bench, despatched the Lakers’ starters to the bench to the identical noise after his three-pointer put the Nuggets up 26 with 4:23 left.
LeBron James and Davis mixed to make simply 13 of 36 photographs, with James committing six turnovers, giving him 36 over the past six video games.
James and D’Angelo Russell each declined to talk with the media after the sport.
“It was just bad overall,” Davis stated of the Lakers’ errors.
The Davis miss that left him slumped got here after one in every of Denver’s 18 turnovers — the Lakers managed to attain simply 18 factors off these errors. There have been important missed alternatives, probabilities the Lakers (10-6) wanted to reap the benefits of to beat a staff that has their quantity.
As a substitute, they missed photographs and stalled offensively, the Nuggets ensuring every Lakers mistake ended with ache. Denver scored 31 factors on 15 Lakers turnovers.
Jokic, as traditional, was the perfect participant on the ground, scoring 34 factors to go together with 13 rebounds and eight assists. Davis, clearly bothered by the reigning most dear participant, scored simply 14 on six-for-19 taking pictures — his worst recreation this season.
“I just missed shots. I think all great looks,” Davis stated. “It’s a miss-or-make league. I’ll make more than I’ll miss, for sure. You always wish you can make every shot. I’m confident in every shot I took. They’re shots that I normally make. All of us, to be honest. Shots that that we all normally make, we just missed. But I like every shot that I took tonight. They just didn’t go in.”
Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 19 factors, however the Nuggets made certain just one stat ended up mattering — they outscored the Lakers 70-39 within the second half.
“Clearly,” Redick stated, “the spirit to compete just wasn’t there.”
