The Lakers hit 8 out of 5 and suffered a black whistle, leading by 20 points and finally being killed, and James had the most tragic battle
On April 21, Beijing time, the second game of the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Denver Nuggets in the 2023-24 Western Conference Playoffs has ended, and the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets with a score of 99-101. Jamal Murray faced Anthony Davis in the final moments and completed a classic step-back jumper.
The Denver Nuggets also allowed themselves to complete a big comeback when they were once 20 points behind. After winning this game, the Nuggets won two in a row at home, leading the Lakers 2-0 in the series.
The Lakers led by double digits in the first quarter, but Jokic's two three-pointers helped the team narrow the gap to just four points. Entering the second quarter, Anthony Davis exploded, scoring 14 points alone, and the Lakers played a 29-16 rebuild in the second half of the second quarter, leading 59-44 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Anthony Davis came up and scored five straight points, and the Nuggets trailed by 19 points at one point. However, since then, the Lakers have fallen into an offensive scoring drought, and the Nuggets have gone on a 12-3 run to narrow the gap to just 10 points. The Nuggets went on a 10-1 run in the final quarter, narrowing the margin to just 2 points.
At the critical moment, LeBron James made 2 consecutive three-pointers, and the difference widened again. However, Michael Porter Jr.'s three-pointer helped the Nuggets tie the score. Unfortunately, LeBron James missed an empty three-pointer at the last moment, and Jamal Murray broke through with the ball to meet Anthony Davis, and made a backward jumper in the bottom corner to complete the kill.
In the end, the Nuggets narrowly defeated the Denver Nuggets with a score of 101-99. In this game, the Lakers played a bit 5 to 8, and when they led by 20 points in the third quarter, the referee repeatedly blew unfair performances. D'Angelo Russell broke through and was slapped directly in the face by Michael Porter Jr., and the referee blew for a foul, but the Nuggets challenge was successful, and the reason given was not to affect the opponent's shooting.
LeBron James broke through many times, especially in the second half of the last quarter, LeBron James broke through the bottom corner, Pop hit the ball, Jokic was behind him, causing LeBron James to fall, although the Lakers got the ball, but it was already 24 seconds for example.
At the last moment of the last quarter, no matter how the Lakers break through, the referee will not blow. On the other hand, Jokic and Jamal Murray broke through and blew the Lakers for fouls in a row. At the end of the game, Anthony Davis scored 32 points and 11 rebounds, LeBron James had 26 points, 8 rebounds, 12 assists and 2 blocks, and D'Angelo Russell had 23 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists.
Jokic 27 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists; Michael Porter Jr. 22 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals; Jamal Murray 20 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks; Michael Porter Jr.'s three-point shot in the final quarter, Jokic's interior 2+1, Jamal Murray's 14 points in a single quarter, and a stunner, are all important factors for the Nuggets to win.
Summary: In this game, the referees did favor the Denver Nuggets. However, the main reason is that the Lakers' offense is not competitive, and they have pressed time many times, and in the end they can only make hasty shots. There's also the fact that they seem to have forgotten about Anthony Davis on the offensive end.