There was no miracle in Denver for the Lakers as they left Colorado with another defeat (110-99). It’s the fourth setback in four matches, and even if the players are trying to play down the drama, it’s clearly a crisis! Deprived of Russell Westbrook, hit in the thigh, the Lakers cracked on returning from the locker room. They no longer defend, the shots still do not come in, and the Nuggets sign an 18-6 to take a 12-point lead (72-60). The Murray-Jokic tandem finds its automatisms, and it is a treat for Denver fans.
The rest, we know it… The Lakers run after the score, and they come back several times to -7 (86-79). But they are exhausted, and they are losing ball after ball. LeBron takes a technique. At the start of “money time”, the Nuggets regained an 18-point lead. It’s finish. The Lakers take a 4th loss in a row!
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– 0-4. This is only the 4th time in their history that the Lakers have started a season with four losses in four games. Previously it was in 1957/58, 2014/15 and 2015/16. Each time, they had not reached the playoffs…, finishing at best with only 21 victories.
– Chronic clumsiness. As we are teasing, we will say that the Lakers improved their address to 3-pointers after this meeting… More seriously, they finished the meeting at 8 out of 30 from 3-pointers. LeBron James continues to think he’s Klay Thompson or Kevin Durant, and it’s 2 of 8 from afar.
– The Nuggets regain their defense. Worst defense in the NBA before the game, the Nuggets finally manage to limit opponents to less than 100 points. More than the mediocrity of the Lakers, we will remember envy with the pair Caldwell-Pope – Brown, but also varieties in defense with passages in the zone which have bothered the Lakers without idea, and without address.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Nikola Jokic. The quiet force… An average first half, then a sudden awakening in the 3rd quarter to knock out the Lakers. On arrival, a complete performance: 31 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 interceptions at 12 of 17 on shots.
✅ Bruce Brown. He’s the team’s energizer. He is everywhere, he has a smile and he gets high in defense. And as in addition, he plants 18 points with a nice 4 of 6 from 3-pointers, it’s almost perfect. He’s typically the kind of player the Lakers lack.
✅ Anthony Davis. We can blame him for a lack of aggressiveness in defense, but overall, he floats. He forces few shots, he does his job on the rebound. Like LeBron, we have the impression that he wonders what he is doing in this mess.
⛔ LeBron James. Certainly, it continues to defy time and it does not spare its efforts. But tonight, his stray bullets are expensive. While his training was attempting a comeback, he lost one in traffic. Behind, he groans and takes a technique. And on the next attack, he takes and misses a complicated 3-pointer.
THE FOLLOWING
LA Lakers: Travel still difficult: in Minnesota on Friday.
denver: Reception of the amazing Jazz on Friday.
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