Game 1 of the first-round series between the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers ended just like the last eight meetings between these sides, with a Nuggets victory. The Lakers suffered a 114-103 loss on Saturday night to go down 1-0 in the series and their fans were not happy.
One wanted D’Angelo Russell to be shipped to China.
https://twitter.com/zerowontmiss/status/1781880172385559013
A Lakers fan admitted the Nuggets own them now.
They own us now 😭
— annoying ohtani fan (@owndodgerhaters) April 21, 2024
One said the series is over.
IT’S JOEOVER pic.twitter.com/RGTOfH7rSX
— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) April 21, 2024
A fan is concerned that another sweep might be coming.
We getting swept again, ain’t we? 🤬
— WordSm7th (@WordSm7th) April 21, 2024
One fan wanted Darvin Ham to be fired.
Darvin Ham gotta go 🗣️
— Moolah 💰 (@prodbymoolah) April 21, 2024
There is plenty of blame to go around here, but two men who don’t deserve any of it are LeBron James and Anthony Davis. LeBron finished the night with 27 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He had an excellent first half with 19 points and was a big reason why the Lakers led by as many as 12 points at one stage.
As for Davis, he was the LA’s best player. The 31-year-old recorded 32 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks while going 12-23 from the field. Davis played well on both ends of the floor, but it just wasn’t enough, as the rest of the team didn’t show up.
D’Angelo Russell had a terrible series when these teams met last year and it was more of the same in Game 1. Russell went 6-20 from the field and ended the night with 13 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, meanwhile, combined to take just 13 shots and had 20 points between them. The Lakers are just not going to win too many games when their key role players play like that.
As for the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic was brilliant once again. Jokic had 32 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals on the night. His co-star Jamal Murray struggled from the field as he went 6-24, but still finished with 22 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, and 1 block.
Jokic and Murray got plenty of help, too. Aaron Gordon had 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Michael Porter Jr. recorded 19 points. It was a total team effort and the Nuggets will now look to make it 10 wins in a row against the Lakers when the sides meet on Monday for Game 2.
Can The Lakers Turn Things Around?
What should be so concerning for the Lakers following this game is that the same old patterns emerge when they play the Nuggets. In Game 1 last year, the Lakers mounted a late comeback attempt and then lost, which is exactly what happened here.
They were down 15 at one point but had cut the deficit down to 103-96 with just over five minutes remaining. The Nuggets then proceeded to execute better down the stretch to win, which has been the story in so many meetings between these sides.
The Lakers also got crushed on the offensive glass, as the Nuggets had 15 offensive rebounds to just six for them. LA just has not been able to win that rebounding battle against Denver and it’s hard to see how that changes over the next week or so. I don’t see this series ending in a sweep like last year, but injuries aside, you struggle to see a scenario where the Nuggets don’t end up winning it eventually.
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