Lakers fall to Nuggets in Game 1 of Playoffs
DENVER—In an anticipated rematch, the Lakers squared off against the team that knocked them out of last season's Western Conference Finals, the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets, this time in round one of the postseason with a familiar result in Game 1.
The Lakers started strong in Denver, leading by as many as 12 points within the first two quarters behind bigman Anthony Davis and 39-year-old LeBron James. Until a familiar Nuggets 13-0 run, cut that margin to three points going into halftime (60-57) if it weren't for a buzzer-beating three from James to end the first half.
Denver rode its momentum from halftime behind a roaring Ball Arena crowd in the third quarter, outscoring L.A. 32-18. Their momentum continued until the final horn, with L.A. playing catchup for the rest of the game—a similar result in last season's playoff series—ending the Lakers’ hopes of taking Game 1 in a 114-103 loss.
"I truly believe this is still gonna be a hard-fought series,” Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said. “It's a matter of going back to the drawing board. We did a lot of good things out there tonight."
This is the Lakers ninth straight loss to the Nuggets (including the playoffs), dating back to Jan. 9, 2023.
Davis (32 points, 14 rebounds) and James (27 points, eight assists) combined for 59 points on a combined 56% (22/39) shooting. The rest of the Laker group couldn't execute behind the two all-stars, combining for 42% (17/40) total from the floor.
It looked like it was headed toward a strong game for Lakers point guard and third-scoring option D’Angelo Russell, who shot 3-for-4 to start the game. But inconsistent streaky shooting bit the 28-year-old—similar to the playoff series a season ago versus Denver, where his minutes decreased and benched—hitting his first and only three of the night in the fourth quarter.
“I just feel like sometimes the ball just don’t fall,” Russell said. “No love lost, can’t be upset about that. Be ready for the next one.”
Russell finished with 13 points on 1-for-9 from three and 6-for-20 overall from the field.
L.A.'s shooting woes, going 27% (8-for-29) from behind the arc as a team, weren't the only discrepancy. The team surrendered 15 offensive rebounds to the Nuggets, which resulted in 18 second-chance points. Denver’s offensive success was behind a low turnover night (4) and huge performances from its starting group, which combined for 97 points.
“It’s a big team. They have a big frontcourt,” James said. “We just have to do a better job of trying to get hits and collectively rebound in the defensive glass.”
“We could have been better. I thought we played some good ball tonight, but we could have been better,” James added. “You don't have much room for error versus Denver, especially on their home floor.”
Two-time MVP Nikola Jokić led the charge with 32 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists behind an efficient 15-for-23 (65%) shooting night.
Ham mentioned that L.A. has a couple more adjustments they’ll throw at Jokić moving forward in the series, noting that they didn't want to use all of their adjustments in the first game.
Game 2 of the series will continue in Denver next Monday, April 22, at 7 p.m. PST.
