In the opening game of their NBA playoff series, the Denver Nuggets rallied from an early deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers, boasting the star power of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, initially held a 33-25 lead at the end of the first quarter. However, the Nuggets regained their footing, dominating the boards and capitalizing on the Lakers’ transition defense woes.
Despite James and Davis’ stellar combined performance of 59 points, the Lakers’ lack of production from the rest of their roster remains a concern. D’Angelo Russell, the team’s starting point guard, struggled offensively, scoring only 13 points on 6-of-20 shooting.
The Nuggets’ dominance on the glass proved decisive, with a 49-40 rebounding advantage. Denver’s offensive rebounding dominance, ranked seventh in the league, was particularly effective against the Lakers’ poor defensive rebounding, which ranks last in the NBA.
In addition to their rebounding prowess, the Nuggets also exploited the Lakers’ defensive vulnerability in transition. Los Angeles ranks among the worst in the league in this category, allowing an average of 16.4 fastbreak points per game. The Nuggets took full advantage, scoring 21 fastbreak points in the series opener.
Looking ahead to Game 2, the Lakers face an uphill battle. Their short bench, with forwards Christian Wood, Cam Reddish, and Jarred Vanderbilt already ruled out, could prove detrimental against the Nuggets’ talented and deep roster, especially in the thin air of the Mile High City. While the Lakers may start the game strong, their performance is likely to fade in the second half, as has been the case in the second halves of their playoff meetings with the Nuggets. Denver has covered the second-half spread in the last four playoff meetings between the two teams.
