Nuggets barely avoid epic collapse, take Game 1 over Lakers
May 16, 2023, 9:24 PM
For most of Game 1, the Nuggets were making a statement. They were letting everyone know that they belonged in the Western Conference Finals, largely because of their two-time Most Valuable Player.
And for good reason. Nikola Jokic finished the game with 34 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists, his sixth triple-double in 12 games so far this postseason. But it was almost in vain.
For most of the game, Denver was rolling. They led by 12 after one, 18 at halftime and 14 after three. But a rally by the Lakers made things way too interesting in the fourth quarter. At one point, Los Angeles cut the lead to three points.
The Nuggets were able to hold on, however, due to a total team effort. In addition to Jokic, Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Michael Porter Jr. were fantastic. Murray finished the night with 31 points, while KCP had 21 and MPJ added 15.
They had to be great. Once again, Denver’s bench struggled. The Crayola box crew was a momentum killer when they were on the court.
At game’s end, Bruce Brown was -6, Jeff Green was -10 and Christian Braun was -16. Every Lakers reserve was in the positive in plus/minus, led by Rui Hachimura. The power forward finished with 17 points and was a +11 on the night.
That wasn’t the only issue for the Nuggets. Anthony Davis was also fantastic, matching Jokic’s efforts. L.A.’s big man finished with 40 points and 10 rebounds.
While Denver won the game, and were comfortably ahead most of the night, there were problems that Michael Malone needs to address. And there were positives that Darvin Ham can build off of heading into Game 2.
Hachimura held Jokic scoreless for most of the fourth quarter. The big man didn’t score until he hit three free throws in the final minute of the game.
It was a wrinkle for which the Nuggets had no answer. Their big lead was the only thing that saved them.
Denver led by as many as 21 points in the second half. They held on for a 132-126 win.
This series has just begun. A win for the Nuggets was a great way to start, but there is a lot of work to do.
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