LeBron James promised the Los Angeles Lakers would be a much better unit in Game 2 after going down 132-126 in the WCF opener against the Denver Nuggets.
“We’ll be better,” he said, in the aftermath of the loss. “We know we didn’t play up to our capabilities in that first half…we’ll be better in Game 2. That’s for sure.”
“I know the game is won in 48 minutes but they set the tone in the first 24 minutes and we were playing catch up for the next 24,” James said. “We have to play better, we have to rebound better. I thought we did a good job of not turning the ball over and that’s one thing we’ve been very conscious about in the postseason but we’ve been better in transition, tonight we wasn’t that great.”
"We'll be better. We know we didn't play up to our capabilities in that first half…we'll be better in Game 2. That's for sure."
LeBron in response to the Lakers' effort in Game 1 https://t.co/Tsl1en4vvJ
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 17, 2023
James and the Lakers’ defense came under scrutiny after the loss. They had a massive deficit by the end of the first half with the Nuggets leading 72-54. On his part, the four-time NBA champion had a forgettable day himself, missing a few crucial shots and turning the ball over with 18.5 seconds left in the final stretch.
There were bright spots that the Lakers would take solace from. Anthony Davis roared back to form with 40 points, while Austin Reaves continued his impressive season with a 23-point contribution. James had 26 to show for, while Rui Hachimura poured in 17 points coming off the bench.
For the Nuggets, it was a Nikola Jokic masterclass with 34 points, 21 rebounds, and 14 assists. Jamal Murray had 31 points, while former LA sniper Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 21 points.
Nikola Jokic Gets Real On Being Compared To LeBron James
Last week, it was Kevin Durant’s lavish praises that left Nikola Jokic spellbound, now it was his teammate, KCP’s comparison to LeBron James that had the Serbian showcase his modest side.
“That’s really offensive. To be compared to one of the best ever, or the best ever, I think is really cool. But I don’t know, we don’t have similar games. He’s more attacking. Maybe we have a similar global game, if that makes any sense. We impact the game in different ways and he’s a really good player.”
Jokic has been phenomenal for the Nuggets in the postseason, and his hope will be that the efforts translate to going the distance. The team has never made the NBA Finals, and with the two-time MVP dishing out brilliant performances, it’s perhaps their season this time.
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