Lakers vs. Nuggets
After a surprise victory over the L.A Clippers, the Denver Nuggets are advancing to the conference finals and will be playing the other team from L.A. This is the last series until the finals, and both teams must feel tantalizingly close to a finals berth.
Both teams came out of the gates full power, and neither team could gain a significant advantage in the first quarter. The Nuggets were able to hang on to a 2 point lead after the end of one quarter. As the second quarter started, the Lakers started building a lead on the Nuggets. Great play on both ends of the floor led to the double digit lead that the Lakers built during the second quarter. While the Nuggets were known for their second quarter comebacks, it would be up to the Lakers to set a tone early in the series. That is exactly what the Lakers did, as they continued extending their lead and never giving Denver any opportunities. The Lakers got a huge game from Anthony Davis, 37 points, and a very solid game from Lebron James, 15 points and 12 assists. The Nuggets got 21 point games from both Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, but only one other player was able to score in double digits. For a team that relies on their role players to be scoring factors, the Nuggets need someone other than their stars to be productive.
This is the first game of a very long series, and while this was a great first game for the Lakers; the Nuggets are still in this series.
Final Score: LAL 126 DEN 114
Top Image: AP Images/ Mark J. Terrill