Originally compiled from: LA Times
WRITTEN BY BILL PLASCHKE
原标题：Column: No shame in this sweep. Lakers battle to the buzzer of inspirational season
There is no shame in the Lakers being swept away
LeBron James' fate for the season is in his own hands, the fate of the series is in his lap, and the beginning of the miracle is within his reach.
In the end, however, he just couldn't fly high enough.
In Monday's final moments, James' shot that could have equalized was blocked by the Nuggets' Aaron Gordon, setting the Nuggets' 113-111 victory and sweeping four games in the Western Conference Finals, epitomizing the Lakers' ongoing tough battles this season.
A sweep, but not ugly, the Lakers had to play every game with the Nuggets until the fourth quarter to divide the winner and loser.
"What makes me happy is that we held out every night until the end of the game," Lakers head coach Ham said. "I just told them to think about what that means."
A sweep, but not embarrassing, the Lakers have consistently relentlessly pitted against a significantly stronger team.
"I think we've done our best," Hamm said.
A sweep, but no shame, the Lakers have soared from a 2-10 start to the playoffs in May, climbing from 13th to the NBA's Final Four, from joke to once-championship hope.
Hamm said, "This damn year, this damn experience, this damn transformation."
This season has been legendary for the Lakers
The Lakers are the first team to reach the divisional finals after trailing by eight games with a win percentage of less than 50%. The Lakers beat league's second-seeded Memphis and defending champion Golden State Warriors without home-court advantage.
Even more impressive, the Lakers may be the first team in franchise history to have fans turn November boos into roaring shouts unparalleled in home arena history.
"Everybody's working hard together, and it's been a very, very special year," Hamm said.
On this dream journey to the NBA Finals, the city fell in love with the Lakers again. They once again extended their hands to the once-sinking Anthony Davis. They also cheered for rising star Austin Reeves. They frantically applauded playoff hero Lonnie Walker.
James did his best
And then there's LeBron James.
This is the playoffs in which James officially becomes a true Laker.
He is the heart of every playoff win and seems to be the only Lakers player who believes they can overcome a three-to-zero trail, even if they are stifled Monday night.
When James showed up on the court at 1 p.m. to shoot, NBA and ESPN officials were already there planning the Nuggets' victory ceremony.
James clearly noticed. James, of course, reacted.
"It's a small motivator for me tonight," he admitted.
He flew out from the start with strength and energy never seen in the playoffs, and he continued that desperate state in a game where he played only four seconds.
Hamm said: "He came out with the mindset to keep this series going.
James made a soaring three-pointer. He has a great layup. He swept the Nuggets time and time again, defending every star of the Nuggets with unshakable passion, stalking.
"He acted like fire, he acted super aggressive, he kept us going," Davis said. He shot 9-of-15 and should learn more from James' passion.
It was clear that James was determined not to let the Lakers get swept away, and in this game, he had 40 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists.
This is arguably the best game he has played since becoming a Lakers player. It's a glorious moment in this season when locals are finally starting to appreciate him.
What about the last shot that was blocked? Ham insisted James had been fouled.
"He wants to go down, man," Hamm said, later adding, "Now in every game in the NBA, when you dribble, there's physical contact, and what's considered a foul and what's not, what is a foul and what's not, I don't know." ”
Either way, in the end, James' performance wasn't enough. In the end, the Lakers didn't do enough.
Nicola Jokic, who scored 30 points, was better than Davis. Jamal Murray seems to have been scoring all week, and he has been more consistent than a tired James.
The Nuggets are significantly stronger
As for the rest of the Nuggets, it's clear that this team has played together all season, won together, and they work better together.
With the exception of Reeves and Hachimura, the Lakers can't match the Nuggets' roster, with everyone from Pope to Michael Porter Jr., from Gordon to Bruce Brown, contributing big moments.
The Nuggets have more depth. The Nuggets are sharper. The Nuggets are stronger.
Rookie coach Hamm was successful enough
That doesn't mean the Lakers have failed this season. The season wasn't a success — the only success for all Lakers was a championship — but it wasn't a failure either.
This season is an affirmation of new coach Ham.
He was a rookie coach, handling the team's poor start like a professional coach, never dropping underperforming players, never criticizing even the most obvious defeats, and never going public with Russell Westbrook.
When Ham was hired last summer, there were questions about whether the NBA rookie coach had enough trust in the locker room managed by James.
He did it. He deserves it. He has it now.
With his strong belief and hard-working philosophy on the NBA bench, he earned recognition as the Lakers' biggest star and managed a team that played hard every night.
"I think it's special to have a first-year coach, a first-year coaching staff, to be able to lead them to the Western Conference Finals, and I think it's great for Ham and his staff." James said, "It's incredible. ”
Pelinka completes self-redemption
This season is also the self-redemption of general manager Rob Pelinka.
After four months of sharp criticism after getting Wilson in a trade, Pelinka changed the course of the story by changing the Lakers.
He abandoned Wei Shao. He got Hachimura, DeAngelo Russell and Jared Vanderbilt, all of whom had made outstanding contributions despite Russell's erratic play in the final round series.
Pelinka changed the team's culture mid-season without trading or getting stars, a rare achievement. In his six years as Lakers personnel manager, he has suffered a lot of criticism, but he deserves credit for turning a 13th-ranked team into the league's Final Four.
"It's an exciting time when we're able to bring these guys into the locker room," James said of the makeover. "You know, we're just a better team now, and it turned out to be in the Western Conference Finals."
Hachimura and Reeves are the Lakers' harvest
The season was also a bonus for Reeves and Hachimura.
At the start of the season, both guys were strictly backdrops — Hachimura was an outcast for the Washington Wizards — but by the end of the season, they both grew into dynamic Lakers.
Reeves is their third best player. Hachimura is their most dynamic player. This summer, the Lakers should do their best to re-sign the two instead of trying to do more.
Unless they can get more talent for Davis, they shouldn't split this team to add a third superstar — not Irving! Don't disrupt the chemistry that lasts the last few weeks.
The team is only four wins away from the finals. If all members of this team are together throughout the season, perhaps it will be James' last dance with the Lakers, and the team may be heading for the Finals.
Finally, against arguably the best team in the NBA, the Lakers didn't have enough to cope.
But that's not the end. This seems to be just the beginning.