SUMMARY
- LeBron James highlights the Nuggets' efficient long distance shooting in Game 1.
- The Lakers lost this game due to their turnovers and poor offensive rebounding.
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were unable to defeat the Denver Nuggets and steal a pivotal game on the road. As most NBA fans will be aware, the Lakers and Nuggets have a recent rivalry with the Nuggets now having won their last 9 games played against the Lakers. Both teams were matched up for the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, promising fans a second-game series.
The Lakers would have undoubtedly liked to win this game. After all, taking a lead on the Nuggets and stealing Game 1 would mean that all Los Angeles needed to do in order to win this series would have been to defend their own home court. Despite having a double-digit lead midway through the game, the Lakers ended up losing. King James discussed why his team lost in the following postgame interview.
LeBron James credits Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for the Nuggets’ efficient shooting night
There is a popular notion that the NBA is a make-or-miss league. This certainly holds true to an extent. After all, the modern league’s playstyle is heavily focused on rapid transition and high-volume long-distance shooting. The outcome of a game is usually decided based on which team is having the better shooting night.
Kenatavious Caldwell-Pope lit up the Lakers from the three-point line midway through the third quarter and put the Nuggets in control for the remainder of the game. The Lakers star discussed KCP’s impact and how it ultimately helped the Nuggets win the series opener.
LeBron James makes a good point. The long-distance shooting efficiency for the Nuggets undoubtedly helped the team win this game and take the lead in this series. However, there were also other aspects of the game that Denver controlled and dominated against the Lakers.
The Lakers also tripled the Nuggets in free throws and turnovers
There is no denying that free throws play a pivotal role in deciding the outcome of a game. They speak to which team attacks more aggressively and the NBA referees’ innate bias or support. In this case, the Lakers were given 19 free throw attempts in Game 1 and made 17. On the other hand, the Nuggets were awarded just 6 and made 5. However, this did not tilt the game enough as Denver still emerged victorious.