James is out injured
Anthony Davis is back, but the Los Angeles Lakers' losing streak continues, and the gap between them and the Spurs is getting bigger and bigger, and with only 5 games left in the regular season, the hopes of the playoffs seem very slim. In this game, the Los Angeles Lakers will face the Denver Nuggets at home, a more powerful opponent, but the Lakers have no way back, Davis continues to play, veteran Anthony also ushered in a comeback, but LeBron James, because of an ankle injury, is out.
The Nuggets are currently led by Jokic's single core, and when Jokic is on the court, the Lakers' current defensive strength can be said to be no way. However, after Jokic went off, the Nuggets were another team, and the Lakers must seize this time to create as much advantage as possible. But even so, the Lakers are still powerless to return to heaven.
The Lakers suffered six straight losses
Davis stepped up in the first quarter, scoring 12 points, 2 rebounds and 2 steals on 5-of-9 shooting, showing talent on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends, and the Lakers also bombed 28 points in the quarter and limited the Nuggets to only 24 points. After returning from the second quarter, Westbrook carried the team, scoring 10 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists on 5-of-5 shooting, as well as not making a single turnover. Westbrook's perfect personal performance helped the Lakers shoot down 33 points in the second quarter, but Gordon ushered in an outbreak, with 14 points and 2 rebounds on 6-of-7 shooting, and Munch's irrational defense allowed the Nuggets to surpass the Lakers by 1 point at 62-61 at the end of halftime.
In the second half, Wei Shao was still bulletless on the offensive end, taking 7 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist in 3 shots, still without a mistake, Davis also had 7 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists, the Lakers scored 33 points this quarter, and the Nuggets also happened to have 33 points, of which Jokic had 14 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists on 7-of-9 shooting. After returning from the final quarter, Jokic remained unstoppable, taking 10 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists on 3-of-3 shooting, while the Lakers were a bit overwhelmed, Davis shot 1 of 6 and Westbrook 1 of 3.
Veteran Cameron Anthony stepped forward as the team's hope for scoring. In this quarter, Anthony had 7 points and 1 rebound on 3-of-8 shooting, and he was no longer a teenager in the Denver Highlands League. In the end, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 129-118, successfully sending their opponents 6 consecutive defeats, and also making the Lakers' play-off hopes very slim.
What are the hopes of the playoffs
The Lakers have lost six straight, and there is still hope for the playoffs? 4 wins, but also to see Popovich's face. After the Lakers lost the game, Thick Brow asked reporters in a post-game interview: If we stay healthy all year round, what will happen to us? So far this season, Thick Brow has only played in 39 games, and in this game, he has 28 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks on 11-of-25 shooting. Wei Shao also admitted after the game: We spared no effort for this game and made a good effort, so we can accept this result. Wei Shao scored 10 consecutive goals in this game, and had 27 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists on 11 of 15 shooting.
Head coach Vogel also praised Westbrook after the game: he was doing what he could and I was proud of Russell's performance. However, the team did not defend Jokic. In this game, Jokic once again showed the style of the league's first center, with 38 points, 18 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks, which is simply unstoppable. It can be said that Jokic today has thrown off his thick eyebrows.
So after six consecutive losses to the Lakers, is there any hope for the playoffs? It depends on Popovich's face, if the Spurs have 3 or more wins in the next 5 games, then the Spurs are properly in the play-offs. If the Spurs win 2-3, then the Lakers need to win the next 4 games to enter the playoffs. If the Spurs win 1,4 lose, or lose all five games, the Lakers will have to win at least three games to come back. At present, the Spurs are playing against the Blazers, and the fate of the Lakers is completely in the hands of Popovich.