The Denver Nuggets had a hot start against the Los Angeles Lakers and were led at halftime with double digits. Unfortunately, a fierce Lakers whistle and a heavy dose of LeBron James, coupled with a complete collapse of Denver, eventually made the game a 180. LeBron got a triple double, while Nikola Jokic had a restful night and the Lakers have to prove it again. much for Denver.
Jokic started the match by feasting on Marc Gasol who could do nothing to stop him. It helped Denver get a five-point lead, but LeBron also played well, which could not put Denver ahead anymore. Jamal Murray was also aggressive in starting early with a few buckets. However, the Lakers hung tough behind LeBron and the game was very tough when the banks started coming in. Dennis Shroder and Anthony Davis carried the burden while LeBron rested. However, Denver’s bench received a boost from Monte Morris and Michael Porter Jr. to keep them ahead. After one it was Nuggets thirty, Lakers twenty-seven.
The bench was full of energy to start the second quarter and they used a 2-3 zone which gave the Lakers some trouble. That gave Denver the lead, which was six behind Morris, MPJ and JaMychal Green. The Lakers pushed back, but they could not put together enough baskets to harness Denver’s lead. Unfortunately, just as LA got cold, so did Denver, so their lead remained for about 8 minutes. However, the Lakers could not buy a bucket, and eventually pushed the Nuggets’ lead to double digits. LeBron was really the one who did something for LA, even though the TNT announcing crew thought Schroder elevated to the entire NBA by diving on the floor. The Nuggets attack stopped a bit with the end of the half, but it did not hurt them much. At the end of the second, they were still with a dozen.
The second half opened with three quick calls to Denver in the first ninety seconds, including a few and one for the Lakers. Each call took LA early in the third direction and Nugget’s lead was up to five, forcing Michael Malone to take a time-out. The Nuggets found some momentum behind Murray to halt the Lakers run and kept the lead at five in the halfway point of the quarter. The Lakers did not do much about the offense, but they got as far as the free throw and kept the pressure on Denver. The Nuggets got icy cold by the end of the quarter and a nice disappearance from LeBron left the Lakers running with a little over a minute left. The next ninety seconds were the worst Denver’s bench has likely played all season, trailing by eight on a 15-0 run in Los Angeles.
The Nuggets offered no resistance to start the fourth, which caused Malone to evoke an anger output with just over a minute left in the fourth time. The Nuggets game was just sloppy. They will get a bucket, but then fall asleep because of the defense or turn it around the other way around. The Lakers lead flew to fourteen and it felt like the air was out of Denver’s sails. Jokic stumbled against it one last time and got Denver within ten before a timeout from the Lakers and the ensuing 5-0 run boosted the lead again. Lebron throws a few more highs and spills through and picks up a triple double. The deep bench signed in and it was done. Nuggets collapsed in the second half, losing 114-93.