On April 23, 2024, Beijing time, the second game of the first-round series between the Lakers and the Nuggets officially started today, and finally the Nuggets achieved a reversal against the Lakers when they were up to 20 points behind, and finally defeated the Lakers 101-99, and the total score of the series between the two sides came to 2-0!
At the beginning of the first quarter, the Lakers took the lead in getting into the state, and Russell changed the slump of the first game and hit three three-pointers in a row to help the Lakers play an 11-5 start. After the two teams scored 6 points each, James made a three-pointer and Davis made a layup, gradually widening the difference. And the Nuggets Jokic began to exert power, scoring 8 points in a row to lead the team to a wave of 11-4 to help the team narrow the difference. In the last two and a half minutes of the first quarter, both sides played crazy iron and turnovers, and finally the first quarter was over, and the Lakers led the Nuggets by four points at 28-24.
After the start of the second quarter, Braun and Gordon of the Nuggets scored back-to-back baskets to help the team continue to chase points and narrow the gap. However, Russell still maintained the hot hand of the first quarter of the game, hitting consecutive three-pointers again to help the team continue to lead. Then the Nuggets responded with a three-pointer from Porter Jr., helping the Nuggets chase the deficit to one point. And the thick-eyed Davis is also extremely strong in the face of Jokic, how to shoot and how to score, leading the team to play a wave of 11-2 offensive waves, and instantly opened up the difference again. Porter Jr. hit another key three-pointer to help the team stop the bleeding, but the Lakers opened up another 8-0 run, and the Lakers led the Nuggets by as many as 15 points at 59-44 at halftime. At the end of the half, Davis scored 24 points and 6 rebounds on 11-of-12 shooting, while Russell shot 6-of-7 from beyond the three-point line and scored 18 points, sweeping away the haze of the first game!
The two sides changed sides and fought again, and Davis continued to play strongly, playing 2+1 in a row, and Reaves' three-point shot also helped the Lakers expand the difference to 20 points. And the Nuggets' Porter Jr. stepped up again, responded with three points to stop the bleeding, and after scoring 6 points on both sides, the Lakers fell into a scoring drought, and the Nuggets seized the opportunity to play a wave of 8-0 attacks to chase the difference to single digits. Russell stepped up again at a critical moment and hit a three-pointer to help stabilize the situation. At the end of the third quarter, the Lakers still led the Nuggets by 10 points, 79-69.
At the beginning of the final quarter showdown, the Nuggets strengthened their offensive and defensive performances, and when they came up, they played a wave of 12-4 chasing points, chasing the difference to 2 points. James hit two three-pointers in a row to help his team hold on to the advantage. Jokic made it 2+1 and Porter Jr.'s three-pointer instantly helped the team equalize the score. Russell scored a layup to give the Lakers a two-point lead into the final minute of the game, and then Murray made two fouls to erase the difference. James hit a strong layup and Murray hit a jumper again. James missed the key shot, while Murray controlled the time and hit a buzzer-beating jumper in the face of the thick eyebrows defense, and the final score was fixed at 101-99!
In this game, the Lakers had a maximum lead of 20 points, but they lost a good game and suffered a comeback from the Nuggets in the second half. Losing two games in a row is also a huge blow to the team's morale, especially in this game. After the game, the Lakers fell behind 0-2 and fell into a very passive situation. What do you think is the biggest reason why the Lakers lost this game?