After losing so many games to the Denver Nuggets, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers thought their most recent encounter would be the one to break the streak. Along with a heart-breaking shot by Jamal Murray, the King also pointed out the shady officiating that went on in Game 2 as part of the reason why they lost.
In Game 2 of the first round series between the Lakers and Nuggets, the latter went home with the 101-99 victory . Nikola Jokic showed everyone why he won the MVP award twice by tallying an insane triple-double of 27 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists in 41 minutes on the floor. Michael Porter had a good shooting night by connecting 61 percent from the field and 60 percent from deep to notch 22 points. For his part, Jamal Murray made 20 points, including the game-winning shot that sealed Los Angeles’ fate.
The Lakers, on the other hand, saw Anthony Davis drop a monster performance of 32 points, 11 rebounds, and two assists. James made 26 points to go along with his eight rebounds and 12 assists. While D’Angelo Russell’s Game 1 was bad, LA’s point guard redeemed himself by contributing 23 points on 63 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
But even though the Lakers did their best to bury Denver, the Nikola Jokic-led squad fought on and eliminated LA’s 20 point lead. In the end, Murray’s shot placed the Purple and Gold in a much worse position than they were in before.
LeBron James Blasts NBA Replay Center in Los Angeles Lakers’ Game 2 Loss to Denver Nuggets
After the game, James spoke to the media and aired his thoughts on how Game 2 was officiated. In a video posted by Spectrum SportsNet posted on X:
James pointed out one incident in the game when Russell was hit in the face while attempting to drive to the basket. The King implied that no call was made on Denver, even though the play itself merited a foul.
It remains to be seen what action the league will take regarding James’ accusation about how the game was officiated. What’s certain, though, is that the Lakers will need to work harder if they want to advance to the next round.
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