Lakers fall to Nuggets in season opener
DENVER — The Los Angeles Lakers fell short in a much-anticipated 2023–24 NBA season opener rematch, falling to the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets 119–107 on Tuesday.
“Against a team like that, you make any mistake and come out flat, they’re gonna make you pay for it,” head coach Darvin Ham said.
With forward Jarred Vanderbilt day-to-day due to a left heel injury, the Lakers' opening-night starting lineup consisted of D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Taurean Prince, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
After a close back and forth till the midway point of the first quarter, the Nuggets broke away with their lead, going on a 16-4 run, leading up to a 34-20 score to end the first quarter.
The Lakers trailed by as many as 18 points (highest of the game) but managed to cut it to nine with a 63-54 halftime score.
Anthony Davis had a strong first-half performance with 17 points but failed to score again for the remainder of the game, going scoreless in the second half.
A quick 4–0 run to start the second half was cut short by a Nuggets timeout that got them within five at 58–63.
A 13-0 run between the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth quarter still wasn't enough for the Lakers to regain a lead, as Denver hit almost every shot they took.
Every time the Lakers inched closer in the score, the Nuggets seemed to push their lead, returning that feeling from last season's results in the Western Conference finals.
In his 21st NBA tip-off game, LeBron James finished with a team-high 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes.
Ham said, “we’ll see, in all likelihood, yes,” when asked if the 29 minutes LeBron played tonight will be a trend this season. He emphasized that managing LeBron’s workload will be a “day-by-day” thing.
LeBron clarified that he wasn't upset or surprised about his minutes, saying he knew how much he would play.
“I always want to be on the floor, especially when you have an opportunity to win a game and you feel you can make an impact. But I guess there’s a system in place and I’ll follow it,” LeBron said.
Taurean Prince had a memorable Lakers debut, finishing with four threes on six attempts for 66.6%. He finished with 18 points, three rebounds, one assist and a block in 29 minutes.
Despite a strong offseason and preseason, Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell struggled with efficiency in the loss, combining for 8-of-23 from the field for 34.7%.
Reaves finished with 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals in 31 minutes.
Russell finished with 11 points, four rebounds and seven assists in 36 minutes.
The Lakers will return home for their second game of the season on Thursday, Oct. 26, against the Phoenix Suns at 7 p.m.
