On Saturday night, the Los Angeles Lakers headed into Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets with high hopes of pulling off the upset and getting off to a quick start to the postseason.
Fortunately, the Lakers were able to get something going in the first quarter, with the team able to keep Nikola Jokic and company at bay en route to getting out to a 12-point lead in the second quarter. Then the Nuggets showed why they are such a tough team to beat, especially on their home floor, as they went on a run and cut the lead to three before halftime.
Although it was an impressive performance by the Lakers in the first half, that did not carry over to the second half, as Denver was able to take control and ultimately run away with the game to take the series lead.
After the game, Lakers superstar Anthony Davis emphasized a need to do a better job rebounding the basketball in order to get an edge over the Nuggets in this first-round series.
“We just got to box out. Put a body on their bigs,” Davis said. “Aaron Gordon, DJ, Jokic, we just got to get into their legs. If we just sit there and try to sit on top of their legs, they usually just outjump you. That hurt us tonight, the offensive rebounds on their side, especially in the third quarter and late in the second. They kind of just cut into the lead, and the third quarter, they just opened up the lead. There were some big possessions where we held them to one shot and then gave up an offensive rebound. So we got to make that adjustment for Game 2.”
The Lakers were outrebounded by the Nuggets 49 to 40, with Jokic (12), Gordon (11), Michael Porter Jr. (8) and Jamal Murray (6) all putting up numbers in that category, while it was only Davis (14) and LeBron James (6) putting in work on the glass for Los Angeles.
Davis believes that the Lakers need to be solid both on the defensive glass as well as in transition or this team will be in trouble against a team that doesn’t make many mistakes.
“That’s what we talked about,” Davis said. “I think I told y’all at our little shootaround yesterday that we can’t be bad at defensive rebounding and transition. Something that we struggled with against this team since last playoffs. We can’t not excel in one of them. Especially not both. Once again, that’s our Achilles heel. We have to be better in both departments if not one.”
Although Game 1 ended disappointingly for Los Angeles, the Lakers have a chance to bounce back with a vengeance on Monday night in Game 2 before heading back home for Game 3 and Game 4.
LeBron explains Lakers’ Game 1 loss to Nuggets
The Lakers got off to a quick start against the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Saturday night. LeBron James and company seemed in control during the first half of Game 1.
Unfortunately, the Nuggets showed why they are the defending champions in the second half by flipping the switch and gaining momentum, which James believes was the difference in the game and why the Lakers are now looking at a 0-1 deficit.
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