The Los Angeles Lakers were staring down a 20-point lead and an onslaught from Nikola Jokic late in the 3rd quarter. A raucous fourth-quarter comeback attempt made Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, and the rest of the series, a must-see as the LakeShow seemed to figure out a strategy but just fell short, 132-126.
Jokic had 34 points, 21 rebounds, and 14 assists. Yes, that’s a real stat line. And Jamal Murray added 31 points to lead the Nuggets. Anthony Davis responded with 40 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. LeBron James added 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists, but missed a game-tying 3-pointer late in the game.
As James headed into the tunnel in Denver after the game, he could be seen dropping his head back and saying, “Oh My God.”
But the Lakers appeared to find a new strategy for tackling Jokic late. Switching forward Rui Hachimura onto Jokic allowed Davis to roam the paint and also come over for help, slowing the Denver offense down and allowing the Lakers to claw back in the game.
“You have to switch up matchups at times and you have to switch up coverages,” Ham said. “Gave us a chance to get back into the game.”
The Lakers will now turn their attention to Game 2 when they return to the high altitude of Ball Arena and try to steal a game on the road.
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