Having won four rings in his legendary career, All-Star forward LeBron James knows a thing or two about becoming a champion in the NBA. And after losing Game 1 to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets , the league’s all-time leading scorer issued a serious challenge to the Los Angeles Lakers for them to bounce back.
The two teams met recently for the first match of their series with Denver getting 114-103 win over Los Angeles. Jokic showed everyone why he’s in the MVP conversation by making 32 points on 65 percent shooting from the field, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. Jamal Murray dropped 22 points and 10 assists, while Aaron Gordon contributed 12 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists.
The Lakers had Anthony Davis lead the way with his 32 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists. James tallied 27 points, six rebounds, and eight assists. Meanwhile, both D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves had 13 points each in Los Angeles first loss in the series.
After going through the regular season to gain a spot in the playoffs via the Play-In Tournament, the Lakers are one game closer to elimination. The Nuggets, on the other hand, are showing how effective they are on both ends of the court to defend their championship.
LeBron James Challenges Los Angeles Lakers After Game 1 Loss to Denver Nuggets
After the game, James spoke to the media and pointed out why his teams have won championships in the past. In a video shared by Oh No He Didn’t on X, the four-time NBA champion dropped a serious challenge to the Lakers
As pointed out by Lakers Legend Magic Johnson , there was nothing wrong with how James and Davis played in Game 1. The problem lied in the team’s guards – Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell – and how they just contributed a combined total of 26 points to their team.
If the Lakers want to win, the entire lineup will have to pay more attention to detail. Otherwise, Los Angeles will find themselves exiting the playoffs earlier than they want.
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