Lakers vs. Nuggets Game 2 Preview (LA Leads 1-0)

Quick-Hitters

• The Los Angeles Lakers look to go up 2-0 over the Denver Nuggets Sunday after thoroughly dismantling them 126-114 in a Friday night series-opener that really wasn’t even that close.

• Denver started off strong in Game 1, finishing the first quarter with a 38-36 lead. Then, LA went on a 17-1 run in the second and an 11-2 run in the third, asserting their dominance with authority. The Nuggets couldn't contain the Lakers aggressive offensive attack or their physical team defense. LA shot 53.0 percent from the floor and 42.3 percent from downtown while dishing out 33 assists and going to the line a whopping 37 times.

• Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic each had 21 points for Denver on Friday, but only Michael Porter Jr. joined them in double-digits with his 14. Meanwhile, Los Angeles' All-NBA tandem of LeBron James and Anthony Davis showed why they're head and shoulders above Denver’s stars. LeBron tallied 15 points and 12 rebounds in a relatively effortless 31 minutes, and Davis had 37 points and 10 rebounds in 33 minutes.

• Los Angeles (-330) is favored over Denver (+265) with the over/under set at 213.5 total points. The Lakers are 7.5-point favorites. CLICK FOR LIVE GAME ODDS!

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A Lop-Sided Game 1

The Los Angeles Lakers had to wait nearly six whole days between closing out the Houston Rockets in the second-round and meeting the Denver Nuggets in the conference finals. They were rested, and clearly, they were prepared. They stayed with the Nuggets in Denver’s hot-shooting first quarter, and ran away from them after that. The strong runs were thanks to physical team defense, aggressive attacking offense that led to buckets or free throws, and quality ball movement resulting in open looks.

The Nuggets got to the line a whopping 37 times (making 27), with All-NBA center Anthony Davis leading the way shooting 12-for-15. Davis finished with a game-high 37 points on 12-of-21 shooting, never really threatened one iota by the likes of opposing big men Nikola Jokic, Mason Plumlee, or the painfully-undersized Paul Millsap. Davis added 10 rebounds and four assists in his dominant 33 minutes.

He and fellow All-NBA First Teamer, LeBron James, demonstrated the chemistry they enjoyed all season, connecting on lobs, pick-and-rolls, and outlets all night. LeBron, fresh from the frustrating news that he lost the 2019-20 NBA MVP honors in a blowout to now two-time winner Giannis Antetokounmpo, seemed to take out his aggressions on the hapless Nuggets. In just 31 minutes, the three-time champion registered 15 points, 12 assists, and six rebounds.

“The others,” as Shaquille O’Neal calls them, contributed as well. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was hot from three-point land early, and finished with 18 points. Kyle Kuzma shot well off the bench and backup center Dwight Howard returned to action with an assertive performance in the interior, going 4-for-5 and dunking all over people. Rajon Rondo added insult to injury with nine assists in 21 bench minutes, seemingly toying with the Nuggets.

The Nuggets only got 15 combined field goals and 42 total points out of their star tandem of Jokic and Jamal Murray, a far cry from some of the embarrassments in riches they enjoyed in the first couple of rounds (Murray had at least 40 in four different games this postseason entering Friday’s contest). They received no help from their friends—only one other Denver player managed to make four baskets (Plumlee, who finished with nine points).

The Nuggets looked completely overmatched, struggling to create offense or even get off open looks most of the night. They shot 34.6 percent from deep while LA shot 42.3 percent. They dished 23 assists to LA’s 33, and turned the ball over five more times.

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Bully Ball

The Lakers, led by LeBron, AD, and Howard just looked like bullies beating up on younger, less-experienced players Friday night. Denver committed 16 fouls in the second quarter—the most fouls by any team in any quarter in the NBA this season—and LA shot 24 second-quarter free throws as a result. Murray, Jokic, and Millsap all had three fouls in the first half. Each of the nine Nuggets who logged at least 12 minutes of action had at least two fouls in the game. Denver finishing the night with a grand total of 26.

The Lakers had six blocks and 10 steals, whereas Denver only had two blocks and three steals. Sophomore Michael Porter Jr. was the only Nugget with 10 rebounds (Millsap and Jokic tied for second on the team with six), and also the only Nugget (other than Jokic and Murray) to reach double-digit points (14).

Daunting Task

The Lakers are now 22-7 against the Nuggets in the postseason and all signs point to that win total reaching 25 before the end of the week. Los Angeles looks far too rested, energized, focused, aggressive, and efficient to even be threatened for more than a quarter or two by Denver. LA was making fast-break field goals off of made baskets, and their bigs absolutely asserted their will around the hoop.

Maybe Denver can eke one out behind a more than capable Murray, but it sure doesn’t look like a good bet to roll with the Nuggets anytime soon. Stick with the Lakers as long as the Game 2 line stays below -8.0, and if the over/under stays within a couple points of 213.0, smash the over.

Even if it’s another runaway, Los Angeles has talented offensive players at the end of their bench to score on the miserable defense of Denver’s reserves in garbage time. The real question is: who will the Lakers play next? Denver has come back from two-consecutive 3-1 series deficits, but unless something catastrophic happens to the Lakers, the Nuggets won’t even come back from this 1-0 deficit.