There is no such thing as a moral victory in pro sports, especially during the NBA Playoffs. But perhaps the Lakers came close to one in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.
They got outplayed badly in the effort categories, particularly when it came to rebounding and fast-break points, which led to an 18-point halftime deficit. After that deficit grew to 21 in the third quarter, they continually pecked away at it like a flock of hungry birds, coming to within three with just over a minute left in the fourth quarter before falling 132-126.
In many ways, it was a disappointing loss for Los Angeles. But there are several reasons for optimism as it gets ready for Game 2 on Thursday.
The Lakers scored almost at will for a good portion of Game 1
The Lakers struggled a bit offensively in the first half, scoring just 54 points on 45.8 percent shooting. But they started to heat up like a summer day in the San Fernando Valley afterward.
In the second half, they shot 66.7 percent overall and 50.0 percent from 3-point range, and in the fourth quarter, they improved to 62.5 percent from downtown. They found some matchups they were able to exploit as Denver looked to switch defensively when they ran pick-and-rolls.
In particular, Anthony Davis was unstoppable in the second half with 22 points on 7-of-9 shooting while Austin Reaves was on point with 18 points after a poor first half.
Rui Hachimura may be a gem in this series — at both ends of the floor
In the prior round versus the Golden State Warriors, Hachimura played poorly, but he wounded Denver in Game 1 with 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
No matter who was guarding him, he took his man into the paint, either by backing him down or driving to the hoop, and he used his threat as a 3-point shooter to get some separation off the dribble after faking a trey.
Even better, the Lakers found something on the defensive end with Hachimura.
He guarded Nikola Jokic in the fourth quarter, and he was able to neutralize the two-time MVP after he mauled L.A. beforehand. Jokic had 34 points on 12-of-17 shooting, 21 rebounds and 14 assists for the game, but in the fourth quarter, he got off just two shots, missing both of them, while getting just two rebounds.
Hachimura, unlike Davis, has a low center of gravity, and although he is smaller than Jokic, he has the type of wide frame that makes him effective defensively. This matchup allowed Davis to come over as a help defender when Jokic got too deep into the paint, not unlike the defensive role Davis played in 2020 when he played considerable minutes at the 4 spot.
The Lakers may have found a defensive adjustment or two in the fourth quarter
With Hachimura checking Jokic down the stretch, Los Angeles was able to slow down the Nuggets after they had their way in the first three quarters.
They had 72 points in the first half and 106 at the end of three quarters, and even though they shot 50.0 percent in the fourth quarter, they were held to just 26 points.
The Lakers also seemed to make adjustments while guarding the pick-and-roll and dribble hand-offs. Jamal Murray was a thorn in their side with 31 points while going 4-of-8 from downtown, but in the fourth quarter, he missed both of his 3-point attempts.
Another problem for L.A. early on was Denver’s fast break. It scored 17 fast-break points in the first half, but the Lakers held it to just two transition points in the second half, with both of them coming off a loose ball on their offensive end that left them out of position to sprint back on defense.
Denver played very well but won by a small margin
From the Nuggets’ point of view, this was not a great win.
They outrebounded the Lakers by 17 (the margin was 23 at halftime), shot 54.9 percent overall and 46.9 percent from beyond the arc, committed only 11 turnovers, got huge games from both Jokic and Murray, limited L.A.’s feared transition game — and only won by six points, at home no less.
Normally, a team that plays that well will win by double-digits and possibly by at least 20 points.
After three quarters, Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he was concerned about the ease at which the Lakers were scoring. That, combined with the Lakers’ improved defense and overall effort in the fourth period, could mean a victory for L.A. in Game 2.
