LeBron James won’t excuse Lakers team not paying ‘attention to detail’ against Nuggets in playoff series

Playing perfect basketball involves a lot of aspects of the game to go the right way. The Lakers struggled to get hold of the Nuggets in the second half. D’Angelo Russell struggled from the field, shooting 6 of 20 and 1 of 9 from deep. However, other than the scoring aspect, the squad also seemed to have struggled with rebounds when it mattered the most.

LeBron James gives credit to the Joker after Nuggets outrebound the Lakers

The two-time MVP, Nikola Jokic, finished the game with 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists while shooting over 65% from the field. The Nuggets’ front court, including Jokic, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr. challenged the Lakers in the paint. Following Game 1, James gave credit where it was due.

You know obviously, Joker, his ability to rebound his misses or just rebound in general. It's a big team. They got a big frontcourt and MPJ, Joker, and Aaron Gordon. We just got to do a better job of trying to get hits and then collectively rebound, you know, defensive glass. LeBron James said

Looking at Game 1, the Lakers tried their best to make a statement on the road. However, the 11-point loss concerned the Nuggets more than the Lakers. James and Anthony Davis did a great job on both ends of the floor, though they could use some reliable shooting back up.

D-Lo’s rough shooting night was one of the factors that led to the loss. Regardless, Russell will look to make up for the same in Game 2. It will be interesting to see how the Lakers play this one, knowing what they need to know about Denver for this very series.