#Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets
Ball Arena- Denver, CO
[ESPN](https://www.espn.com/nba/game/_/gameId/401547679)
[TV/Radio](https://reddit.com/r/lakers/comments/13jkre3/game_thread_los_angeles_lakers_00_at_denver/jkfkot9/)
***
|Time Clock|
|:–:|
|Final|
||Q1|Q2|Q3|Q4|Total|
|:–|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|
|LAL |25|29|38|34|126|
|DEN |37|35|34|26|132|
###Player Stats
**Los Angeles Lakers**
|Player|MINS|PTS|FGM-A|3PM-A|FTM-A|ORB|DRB|REB|AST|STL|BLK|TO|PF|+/-|
|:–|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|
|A. Reaves|42:08|23|7-14|5-9|4-4|1|1|2|8|0|0|0|5|-3
|L. James|39:52|26|9-16|0-4|8-11|3|9|12|9|0|1|3|1|-6
|A. Davis|41:50|40|14-23|1-1|11-11|1|9|10|3|3|2|0|3|-8
|D. Russell|26:08|8|4-11|0-3|0-0|0|0|0|3|0|0|1|1|-25
|D. Schroder|32:02|6|2-3|2-2|0-0|0|3|3|5|0|0|2|3|-6
|L. Walker IV|19:37|6|2-6|2-4|0-0|0|2|2|0|2|0|0|1|3
|R. Hachimura|28:09|17|8-11|1-1|0-0|0|0|0|1|0|1|0|4|10
|J. Vanderbilt|10:12|0|0-0|0-0|0-0|0|1|1|1|1|0|1|3|5
**Denver Nuggets**
|Player|MINS|PTS|FGM-A|3PM-A|FTM-A|ORB|DRB|REB|AST|STL|BLK|TO|PF|+/-|
|:–|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|
|M. Porter Jr.|34:33|15|6-12|3-6|0-0|3|7|10|2|0|2|1|2|20
|A. Gordon|35:59|12|4-9|0-3|4-8|3|0|3|3|0|0|2|1|11
|N. Jokic|42:26|34|12-17|3-3|7-8|6|15|21|14|0|2|5|4|11
|K. Caldwell-Pope|35:59|21|9-17|3-8|0-0|1|1|2|3|2|1|1|5|16
|J. Murray|37:03|31|12-20|4-8|3-3|1|4|5|5|3|1|1|5|3
|B. Brown|24:11|16|6-11|1-1|3-3|0|4|4|2|0|0|0|2|-5
|C. Braun|12:13|0|0-2|0-2|0-0|0|1|1|0|0|1|0|1|-16
|J. Green|17:35|3|1-3|1-1|0-0|1|0|1|0|0|0|1|1|-10
###Team Stats
|Team|FGM-A|3PM-A|FTM-A|AST|PF|STL|TO|BLK|OREB|DREB|REB|
|:–|:–|:–|:–|:–|:–|:–|:–|:–|:–|:–|:–|
|LAL|46-84|11-24|23-26|30|21|6|7|4|5|25|36|
|DEN|50-91|15-32|17-22|29|21|5|11|7|15|32|51|
***
Note: This data is only as accurate as NBA.com
[Please message u/nba_gdt_bot if you have any suggestions or notice any bugs with the bot](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=nba_gdt_bot&subject=NBA_Bot)
by nba_gdt_bot
32 Comments
That was best case scenario for a loss. Our team has some true fight in them, let’s tie this up Thursday!
We lost a game we were supposed to lose. But we took a lot away from this game. We figured a lot out about this team and I think we’re in a better spot than I hoped tbh. Let’s fuck em up on Thursday. Fuck the Celtics.
We figured them out towards the end. Gotta start Rui Game 2
Three Guard Lineup was an absolutely brain dead choice. Three days ago I said Denver [would punish us for a three guard lineup](https://www.reddit.com/r/lakers/comments/13g765f/darvin_ham_apology_party/jjywukx/?context=3). I was wrong, in reality they tortured and decimated us. Every time we put some size in we started creeping back, but time and time again the three guard lineup came back. If I didn’t know better I would say they were trying to throw this game.
Finally in the fourth we don’t use the three guard lineup once and cut it down to 3 and almost win the game.
We lose this series if the three guard lineup continues. Rui or Vando have to start Game 2.
What a waste of the best shooting game we’ve had in the playoffs.
Obviously hurts to lose this one.
But it feels like our lineups can improve immensely for the second game while Nuggets basically hit us with their best punch.
It is gonna be a fun series.
Rui “the Joker stopper” needs to play more than Vando. Dennis over DLo. DLo isn’t providing much of anything on either side. Comeback came when DLo was benched and didn’t have his awful play on court
First off so great seeing them fight back and get within striking distance. Just cant get down by 20 on the road. Going forward they can only have one of Dlo and Dennis in the game at one time. Defense was terrible along with rebounding to start. But improved drastically by the 2nd half but they hit some very tough shots over and over. Will be interesting to see how this series goes with the adjustments. Not completely hopeless folks we will be good.
Losing the 1Q didn’t set the tone for the game, grateful for that, but it still really hurt us.
Impressive as hell that the game got as close as it did. Now we got tape to learn from
Lakers in 6
Make adjustments and we’ll be alright. Not worried
Positive takeaways from today:
1. Yes, we lost this game but we’re also playing against a really talented Denver team and it was the first game at this altitude.
2. Nuggets just made some crazy shots and had luck on their side. This won’t last all series.
3. Both Rui and Bron were aggressive attacking and in the post. This will be the key factor in the series. Bron was more active on certain defensive possessions too.
4. The team got progressively better every quarter and we almost won it.
5. Our defense is still at a championship level, we just need the consistency.
Overall, we got good things to build on and we should feel good about our chances in this series.
Let’s go Lakers!
Really had a shot to steal this one. I was not a fan of that shot by Lebron. darn
We really found something on the offensive end. I think Vando is unplayable this series, Schroder and Russell need to be better. Rui gonna have to play 30+ minutes every game.
Incredible AD game.
Damn. We almost stole one.
On to game 2 boys
If only KCP played like that with us
I can’t believe so many of y’all still doubt LeBron fucking James
Lakers in 6.
Not gonna lie I’m hella confident after this almost come back. No fucking way Denver make all these crazy shots like they did for 3 more wins.
Lakers can’t really play worse and the Nuggets can’t really play better. Lakers in 5.
#NO MORE 3 GUARD LINEUPS PLEASE AND THANKS!
AD needs more help
Doomers are crazy af. How can you watch our 2nd half and not feel great about our team?!
I hated they pulled out Rui on Jokic in a loss. Now they have time to adjust
Start RUI
AD, Lebron, Rui, Reaves, Schroder/Dlo
This should be the starting line up.
Nuggets won’t be feeling that confident going into game 2. They lucked into this win.
I’m not even mad tbh great fight against a great team, on to the next one.
Not mad at all. Denver was up 21 and we clamped Jokic in the 4th. Absolute defensive master class, but we fell a bit short.
Obvious adjustment: start rui, less dlo, more bigger lineups, I don’t wanna see that there guard lineup again this series
I know skip is a clown but his frustration with lebron settling for jump shots when he is the undisputed greatest attacking force in the history of the game is spot on.
I just don’t understand why he does that. Looking forward to a big game from him in game 2.
The had 17 more rebounds than us, they were making insane shots and straight up couldn’t miss for a while, and they couldn’t have had a better 1st quarter. All of this and it was still anyone’s game at the end.
IM NOT EVEN SLIGHTLY WORRIED.
LAKERS IN 6
I think we steal game 2
Honestly I’m so fucking tired of every team we play pulling the most ludicrous bullshit shots out of their asses. You can fight through adversity, you can even sometimes beat bad officiating, but it is damn near impossible to beat bullshit. And KCP go fuck your self. You never played like that for the Lakers. Had some good stretches of defense and a few decent offensive games but never anything like that. Shit annoys me so much.