Despite having a 2x MVP and sustaining the Western Conference’s best record almost all season long, the Denver Nuggets are going a bit under-appreciated as the NBA playoffs commence into the final stages. Against the Lakers, the Nuggets are considered underdogs by many experts even after their win in Game 1.
In fact, thanks to a big run the Lakers made in the second half, many fans believe LA discovered the secret to beating the Nuggets: sticking Rui Hachimura on him. But as Denver coach Michael Malone explained after the win, he’s not intimidated by whatever adjustments the Lakers will make. At the end of the day, he believes his team still holds the advantage on Thursday with a chance to go up 2-0 in the series.
“There’s this kind of discussion being based [on that] even though the Lakers lost, they’re walking out of here, they think they’ve got something,” Malone said to the media. “I’ll bet you every red penny I have that Darvin Ham would rather be up 1-0 than down 0-1. So for us to be able to watch film after a win and show all the things that we did poorly is a great situation to be in.”
Coach Malone talked to the media during practice ahead of Game 2. pic.twitter.com/tR7EOkvMXv
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 18, 2023
The Nuggets nearly lost Game 1 due to an offensive explosion from the Lakers that involved Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, and (of course) LeBron James. While it ultimately wasn’t enough to get the win, the Lakers certainly seemed confident after taking the loss on Tuesday.
“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 after the game. “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.”
Can The Lakers Win Game 2?
Darvin Ham found out the hard way that going small is not going to work against this big and strong Nuggets squad. So, look for Darvin Ham to start Rui Hachimura which will Anthony Davis to hang and anchor the defense under the rin.
Of course, the Nuggets will respond with adjustments of their own, but these types of things are nothing new for a Lakers team that has already proven itself against some of the best in the West.
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