LeBron James has promised the Los Angeles Lakers will hit back after being caught cold by a performance for the ages from Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in game one of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday.
Jokic delivered an unstoppable assault on the Lakers, with the 6ft 11in Serb racking up yet another triple-double with 34 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists as the Nuggets won 132-126 at Ball Arena.
It was in the first half when the damage was done by one-seed Denver, taking a commanding 72-54 lead into the intermission with Jokic completely dominant.
His stat line of 19 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks with a field goal percentage of 70 per cent had only been achieved in a full game 20 times in NBA history; the 28-year-old had that by half time to help the Nuggets leap ahead in the series.
Jokic also became the first NBA player in the past 25 years to rack up 10 rebounds, five assists and two blocks in any quarter as he bullied LA in the opening 12 minutes.
The Lakers had no answer defensively in the opening stages as Denver romped into a big lead and although LA mustered a response in the final two quarters with Anthony Davis and James going for 40 and 26 respectively, the four-time NBA champion admitted they need to be much better in game two in Denver on Thursday.
"We'll be better," James insisted. "We know we didn't play up to our capabilities in the first half, but you know we'll be better in game two, that's for sure.
"In the postseason, it doesn't matter if you cut it to one or you're down 20, if you lose, you lose. They are 1-0, and we have to come back with desperation going into game two. We have to play better, we have to rebound better. We need to be better in all facets of the game."
Two-time MVP Jokic was snubbed in his pursuit of making it three straight with Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid getting the nod for the award, but Tuesday's performance was another statement from Denver's superstar that he is in the conversation for the best player on the planet right now.
Not only did he bully the Lakers with his size to create shots and dominate off the glass, but he also showed masterful playmaking skills to create open looks for his teammates and a fadeaway three over Davis from all of 29ft to beat the buzzer at the end of the third summed up a night when he could do no wrong.
While Jokic was close to flawless, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone still saw room for improvement in his team, who struggled defensively in the third and fourth as the Lakers attempted to mount a comeback.
"I'd much rather clean up things after a win in the Western Conference finals than a loss," he told ESPN. "So we'll take it, but much work to do."
