The Los Angeles Lakers fell to a brutal 99-101 loss in Game 2 after leading by as much as 20 points in the third quarter. The Denver Nuggets pulled off an incredible fourth-quarter comeback, capped off by a Jamal Murray buzzer-beater that has prompted Lakers coach Darvin Ham to tell his players to use this loss as motivation for Game 3.
“It stings. Remember this feeling as we go back to LA. We need to give them this feeling in Game 3.”
The Lakers were rolling during the game, taking comprehensive control of the action in the third quarter. However, a few mini-runs by Denver made the game a 10-point contest entering the fourth, a deficit that the Nuggets chipped away at until Murray capped off the win.
He had just eight points through the first three-quarters of the game, shooting 3-16 in that time. He went 6-8 from the field in the fourth quarter and scored 12 points in that period to end the night with 20 points and as the hero of this Nuggets win.
The Lakers have been one of the most competitive opponents the Nuggets have had in recent years, but the Nuggets have won the last 10 times these teams have faced off (playoffs + regular season). This pattern doesn't look to be changing anytime soon, with the Murray buzzer-beater likely bashing their spirits instead of uplifting them.
Michael Malone Reacts To Nuggets' Spirit In Win
The Nuggets didn't look intimidated by the scale of the comeback at any point in this game, mechanically chiseling away at the Lakers lead. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone kept it real after this win, explaining how their championship mindset leads to such success,
"It speaks to a team that has tremendous confidence in themselves, and most importantly, the collective. We're the reigning champs. We might get down 20 points but we're not going to roll over. That's not who we are, that's not who I am, and that's never been a part of Denver Nuggets basketball in the last nine years. It speaks to guys trusting the process, sticking with it, making the necessary adjustments, and guys stepping up."
Yeah, it's nearly impossible for me to figure out what the Lakers can do to beat the Nuggets. They played nearly flawless basketball to run out to a 20-point lead, but just a few mistakes ended up being costly enough for them to completely fall apart in the face of tremendous shotmaking from the Nuggets.
No matter what the Lakers do, the Nuggets have a response. These games are incredibly competitive but seem to follow a similar story. The Lakers take the lead, LeBron James plays well, and then the Nuggets walk over them in the fourth quarter. The drastic difference in execution isn't something that changes with a schematic tweak or two, it's the DNA of a team.
The Lakers just don't have enough to fight the Nuggets consistently. They'll pray they can avoid a sweep as the series heads back to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4.
More must-reads: