The LA Lakers’ fantastic finish to the regular season had several analysts and fans believe they could find a way through the mammoth Denver Nuggets. Contrarily, their playoff campaign is off to a dull start after they lost the first game 103-114. So far in this season, the Lakers have been miserable while going against the defending champions, losing all three regular-season games. They would look to level the series in the next game at Ball Arena. However, to add to the woes, their star player Anthony Davis is reeling from a lower back issue.
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According to the official injury report, AD is listed as ‘Probable’ for the next game due to soreness in his lower back. His partner on the court, LeBron James is also featured on the report as ‘Probable’ due to a left ankle peroneal tendinopathy. Even though they’re likely to lace up for the LA franchise tonight, unless something drastic happens, playing with injury against a dominant team like the Nuggets will be a real problem for them.
In their last matchup, Nikola Jokic’s squad outplayed the Purple and Gold on all fronts. Except for the first-quarter lead, the Lakers failed to match up to the opposition. To his credit, Davis put up a strong challenge against the Nuggets with 32-14-5 but he couldn’t get the necessary help from the supporting cast.
Three players from the Nuggets’ starting five clocked double-doubles while AD was the only player for the Lakers who could manage such numbers. Certainly, the Lakers would have to play to the level of the defending NBA champions as there are some major issues they need to resolve, or else the Nuggets might easily repeat the 2023 postseason results.
D’Angelo Russell’s shooting is a problem for the Lakers
In the last few months, D’Angelo Russell has emerged as a key player for the Lakers when they need him the most. In the ongoing series, the Lakers would want DLo to be at his best to aid their chances of beating the Nuggets. However, the first game was an absolute disaster for the 28-year-old as he had 13-3-3 in 41 minutes and had 6 of 20 from the field and 1 of 9 from the three-point line.
After the game, DLo defended himself, saying, “I mean, I can’t be mad. I don’t recall the last time I got 20 shots.” As for the coach’s opinion on his performance, Darvin Ham said, “D-Lo is a huge reason why we’re here in the first place. I’m not going to bail out on my player just because he’s missing the shots that he normally makes.” It’s clear that even after the initial disappointment, he has the support of his squad behind him. Now, it’s his chance to repay them for their trust by showcasing a DLo special against the Nuggets in Game 2.
