Lakers vs. Nuggets
After a very convincing win in game 1, the Lakers will try and take a commanding 2-0 lead over the Denver Nuggets. While Denver has been known for the comebacks in this series, they would feel much better if they can get a win on the board.
Both teams started out very strong and both teams got off to equal starts. L.A was able to grab the 8 point lead going into the second quarter, but anything could happen after the first quarter. The second quarter started off very well for the Lakers, and it seemed like the Nuggets would be seeing a repeat of game 1 as L.A extended their lead to 14 at one point. This was not the case for game 2 though, as the Nuggets cut the lead from 14 and was only down by 10 by the end of the first half. Coming out of the half, Denver erased their double digit deficit and was able to cut the lead down to 4 by the end of the third. This was the second half Denver team that we had seen knock out the Clippers in 7 games. Both teams continued to battle for the lead, and Denver had a 1 point advantage with 20 seconds to go. This is when the Lakers stars needed to shine the brightest, and in this game Anthony Davis, 31 points, sealed the game with a buzzer beater three. The Lakers got another huge game from both their stars, while the rest of the team continued to play great defense and make open shots. On the other hand, Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets in scoring, 30 points and 9 assists, while Jamal Murray, 25 points, and Micheal Porter Jr., 15 points, were the only other Nuggets to score in double digits. The Nuggets need more than 1 role player to be producing offensively because the Nuggets can not rely on their stars as much as the Laker can.
Denver has been down before and we have seen their resilience throughout this playoffs. Game 3 will be crucial for both teams, as the Lakers want to give the Nuggets a deficit they can’t recover from while the Nuggets want to keep themselves in this series.
Final Score: LAL 105 DEN 103
Top Image: AP Image/ Mark J. Terrill