This wasn’t supposed to happen. The Los Angeles Lakers came out firing in game two versus the Denver Nuggets. D’Angelo Russell was lighting it up from the three-point line. Anthony Davis was a complete headache for the Nuggets defense, finishing with 32 points and 11 rebounds. LeBron James had 26, including 12 points in the fourth quarter alone.
Los Angeles, at one point, had a 20-point lead. It was 59-44 at halftime. After an Austin Reaves three-pointer with ten minutes in the third quarter, the score would be 68-48.
And yet, the Lakers still lost. Denver would outscore Los Angeles in the third and fourth quarter, including 32 in the last period. With the score tied at 99, the Nuggets had the last possession. The game could have gone into overtime. Jamal Murray, unfortunately for the Laker faithful, had other plans.
JAMAL MURRAY AT THE BUZZER
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 23, 2024
THE NUGGETS HAVE BEATEN THE LAKERS 10 STRAIGHT TIMES
pic.twitter.com/2u0cmAQMZP
A Game To Possibly Forget
It was a thriller. But, for Lakers fans, this game will haunt them for a while. Their team played their best basketball in recent memory versus the Nuggets. In the end, it still wasn’t enough.
The hero of the night, Murray finished with 20 points despite going 9-24. Talk about confidence. Nikola Jokic put up a triple-double, going 27/20/10 against LA. In fact, all except one starter finished in double-digits for the reigning champions of the NBA.
Props to Christian Braun, who had ten points off the bench (and cost me my parlay by not hitting a three-pointer, thanks a lot). But, in all seriousness, he was great for Denver.
For the Lakers, you got what you needed from your three stars in Davis, James, and Russell. Getting the latter going early was key to staying in this game, and the point guard delivered. Everyone else? They were not on their game. Austin Reaves finished with just nine points on 4-11 shooting, while Rui Hachimura had three points in 38 minutes. Unacceptable.
The Lakers bench finished with just six points, all coming from Taurean Prince. Pathetic.
In a game where it looked like the Lakers were going to run away with it, Denver stormed back with their depth and key guys stepping up.
Up Next
I don’t think I’ve ever seen LeBron this pissed pic.twitter.com/m41W5a8BYA
— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) April 23, 2024
Are the Lakers going to get swept again? Or, will they save themselves by winning the next two games at home? The plane ride home will be a quiet one. But, if the Lakers want a shot to get back into their series, then they have to bring their A+++ game and make sure everyone contributes. It can’t be just Davis, James, and Russell. Everyone else on Darvin Ham‘s team needs to step up.
Game three is on Thursday. Let’s see if the Lakers can make their comeback. Only 13 teams in league history have come back from a 0-2 series deficit in the first round.
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