Andrew PetersApril 21, 2024
Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post through Getty Images
After the Los Angeles Lakers Game One loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night, LeBron James understands his group can’t manage any errors progressing.
“We might have been much better. I believed we played some great ball tonight, however we might’ve been much better,” James informed press reporters after the video game (1:30 mark). “We understand we simply do not have much space for mistake versus a Denver group, specifically on their home flooring. They’re simply a group that’s been through whatever. Clearly, they’re the safeguarding champs. You got to perform, you got to make shots, you got to safeguard.”
James stated a crucial focus will be restricting offending rebounds for a group that boasts among the very best offenses in the league.
“And then you can’t provide additional ownerships,” James stated. “Them having 18 second-chance points when you’re attempting to safeguard currently versus a high-powered offending group, that’s going to be currently hard.”
In Saturday’s 114-103 loss, James and his co-star, Anthony Davis, brought their weight. James had 27 points, 8 helps and 6 rebounds while Davis notched 32 points, 14 rebounds and 5 helps.
While the Lakers got strong production from their stars, Los Angeles’ assistance cast had a hard time. D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves had 13 points each while Rui Hachimura had 7 points. The function gamers’ efforts weren’t almost adequate to stay up to date with Denver’s offense.
Nikola Jokić had 32 points, 12 rebounds and 7 helps in the win. While those efficiencies from the two-time MVP are rather inescapable, the Lakers can remain in the series if they match the Nuggets’ offending production.
The loss was similar to the Western Conference finals in 2015. The Lakers remained in the video game through the very first half, however a third-quarter push that saw the Nuggets outscore Los Angeles 32-18 assisted put the video game out of reach.
Those sort of third-quarter collapses will not suffice for the Lakers to manage a first-round upset, and James and Los Angeles will be aiming to play a total video game in the next video game of the series on Monday.