The Denver Nuggets came ready to play. The Los Angeles Lakers initially looked tired. The Lakers still competed. The Nuggets maintained their resiliency.
It seems far too early to proclaim the series as over following the Nuggets’ 132-126 win over the Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday in Denver. But there were a lot of things to unpack. Below are the five major takeaways.
Denver Nuggets looked mostly prepared
Denver shouldn’t have surprised anyone with how dominant it played. The Nuggets landed the Western Conference’s top seed for a reason. But Denver showcased in Game 1 that it will be incredibly difficult for the Lakers to match up with them even if they have become one of the NBA’s best teams themselves since the trade deadline and in the playoffs.
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic dominated in every way imaginable as a scorer (34 points on 12-for-17 shooting), rebounder (21) and passer (14 assists)). Denver easily won the battle on the glass both because of Jokic and the team’s overall effort (47-30). The Nuggets showcased balance with Jamal Murray (31 points), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (21), Bruce Brown (16), Michael Porter Jr. (15) and Aaron Gordon (12) all cracking double figures.
Any time the Lakers cut into Denver’ double-digit lead, the Nuggets responded with a big shot, a timely pass or a well-needed defensive stop. Though the Lakers cut the Nuggets’ lead to 124-121 with 3:22 following a 9-0 run, Denver still held on for the win. After the Lakers went 1-for-5 the rest of the game, Murray forced a turnover on LeBron James with 18 seconds left.
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The Los Angeles Lakers still made this game interesting
This series is far from over. The Nuggets showed the Lakers they are in for a long series. The Lakers showed they will compete to the very end. After the Nuggets held a 21-point lead, the Lakers cut Denver’s lead within single digits in the final minutes of the game.
The Lakers featured a dominant Anthony Davis (40 points, 10 rebounds, three steals, two blocks), a versatile James (26 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists), an aggressive Austin Reaves (23 points) and an efficient Rui Hachimura (17 points). Though the Nuggets have a 1-0 series lead, the Lakers made varying adjustments with their effort and execution to suggest they can steal Game 2 and make this a series.
Los Angeles Lakers looked gassed at the beginning
Instead of throwing a first punch as they did in Game 1 of their previous playoff series in Memphis and Golden State, the Lakers played as if they had taken a melatonin before tipoff. In reality, the Lakers looked overwhelmed with playing in Denver’s high altitude.
That explains why the Lakers expressed gratitude for having three days of recovery after eliminating Golden State in six games. That explains why the Lakers arrived in Denver a day early so they could practice there and prepare for the altitude. None of those factors seemed to matter.
It didn’t help that the Nuggets are a good team. Or that the Lakers’ small starting lineup made problems worse. But the Lakers’ ineffectiveness mostly traced back to their energy level. Don’t expect the Lakers to struggle with the altitude moving forward. It always takes the first game to adjust.
Yet, the Lakers also missed an opportunity with playing with more force before the taxing schedule begins. The Lakers and Nuggets will play games every other day in this series. And though the condensed schedule will certainly affect both teams, it arguably has a bigger impact on the Lakers given James’ age (38 in 20th season) and Davis’ injury history.
Nikola Jokic did almost anything he wanted
Two plays captured Jokic’s versatility and dominance. At the end of the third quarter, Jokic hoisted a 28-foot 3 with Davis guarding him closely. It didn’t matter. The ball still went in the basket. Early in the first quarter, Jokic beat Davis on a simple spin move before finishing at the rim.
None of these plays should be surprising. Nor should Jokic’s overall performance. He won two consecutive regular-season MVP awards for a reason. Yet, some in the general public and media have never fully appreciated Jokic because of the Nuggets’ recent playoff shortcomings and because he plays with such an unassuming presence.
Hogwash. Jokic has the complete package. He has perfected his role as a scorer and passer both in the post and along the perimeter. He has improved as a defender. Though he looks like he couldn’t beat anyone in a foot race, Jokic plays at a fast and smart pace.
Add all of those ingredients together, and Jokic beat his opponents with his strong timing and decision making. Jokic makes it all look so easy, but no one should think what he did on Game 1 was easy at all.
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Anthony Davis posted a respectable effort, but he needs more help
Those two plays described above might make it appear that Jokic overwhelmed Davis. Not the case at all. Davis also dominated the game with 40 points on 14-for-23 shooting, 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Davis defended Jokic aggressively, including blocking him at the rim on two plays. But it’s clear that the Lakers need to give Davis additional support.
The Lakers should have started with a bigger lineup so they could have become more respectable on the boards (Nuggets won 47-30). They should have thrown various defenders at Jokic in hopes to wear him out, including Jarred Vanderbilt (played only 10 minutes) and Wenyen Gabriel (a healthy scratch). They should have had Davis become a help defender earlier in the game to mitigate Jokic’s dominance. They should have avoided others helping Davis when he was the primary defender, which partly led to Denver shooting so well from deep (15-for-32).