The Los Angeles Lakers had a heartbreaking defeat to the Denver Nuggets in game 2 of the ongoing playoff series between the two teams. The game ended on a Jamal Murray ‘buzzer-beater’, as the scoreboard displayed the final score as 101-99. After the game, former Lakers guard Magic Johnson called out the Los Angeles side for their lackluster performance down the stretch.
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The Lakers were enjoying a significant lead heading into the final quarter, as the Nuggets trailed by more than 20 points during the match. The Nuggets rallied together, securing the largest comeback in the franchise’s playoff history, winning the game with the final shot. Taking to the social media platform X, Johnson began his string of post-game comments by firstly congratulating the Denver side for their impressive comeback performance,
” Last night I was so devastated I couldn’t even tweet An unbelievable shot by Jamal Murray and an outstanding comeback by the Nuggets.”
Having given the Denver side its due credit, Magic turned his focus to the Lakers’ performance on the night. Having made the playoffs 16 times himself, Magic was surprised at the way the Lakers let the game slip away from them. While critical of the Lakers bench, Johnson was impressed by Davis and James on the night, even giving the duo their flowers through a post on X, which read,
” The Lakers have nobody to blame but themselves. They did everything they were supposed to do but win the game! AD and LeBron both did their part, they got scoring help from Russell, and they still lost.”
The Lakers will have to do some soul-searching after this loss. Losing a 20-point lead in ‘a half’ definitely points to serious holes existing in the Lakers’ defense. While the game was decided by a ‘lucky shot’, the Lakers squad has no one to blame but themselves for their recent loss. Even coach Darvin Ham failed to make proper adjustments, as Jokic and Murray led a 22-point comeback in a matter of 15 minutes. Overall, the Lakers had a great performance, but like Magic said,” they still lost”, a statement which seems to highlight the stark difference in talent between the two teams.
What can the Lakers do differently next time?
The Los Angeles Lakers had an almost flawless first half. From the jump, James and Anthony were great, as Davis led all scorers with 32 points. The former Pelicans Star also controlled the boards for the game, as he led the Purple and Gold in rebounds as well, recording 11 collections on the night. But as the final quarter rolled into the picture, Davis was nowhere to be found. A big reason for his late-game disappearance was because of foul trouble, as Ham benched Davis for long stretches in the second half.
The Lakers bench was no better, with no one scoring in double digits off the bench. While D’Angelo Russell had a great night, shooting 63% from deep, Austin Reaves couldn’t find his shot, bricking multiple open shots on his way to recording an abysmal 1/5 on three-point attempts. Rui Hachimura was no better, as the Lakers forward put up 2 points and 5 rebounds on 38 minutes of play.
The Lakers will have to make some serious adjustments before game 3 to stay alive in the series. Rui Hachimura will have to step up, as even a double-digit performance from the Laker forward would have ensured the teams’ victory last night.
As for defense, the Lakers have shown that they have good defenders in their rotation even with Jarred Vanderbilt missing via injury. Yesterday’s game showed that AD has the defensive skill to keep Nikola Jokić quiet for a large part of the game. Foul trouble and a lengthy period on the bench allowed Jokic to gain some momentum without AD on him, and that’s what resulted in Denver’s large run late in the 4th quarter. Gabe Vincent had a solid defensive outing as well, keeping Jamal Murray quiet for three quarters, and restricting him to just 4 points before the start of the 4th quarter.
The Lakers’ biggest issue is that apart from James and Davis, none of their other starters are proficient at both ends of the court. If they sacrifice offense for their defensive players, they miss out on valuable scoring chances, and if they go with Reaves and Russell, they get overwhelmed on defense. Darvin Ham’s team will need to figure out a balance of both, in a way that allows them to have a free-flowing offense without getting out-manned on defense.
Can the LA side come up with a strategy to stop the Nuggets? Or will Mike Malone and the Nuggets improve to 11-0 against the Purple and Gold?
