The Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff hopes took a significant hit on Monday as they suffered a gut-wrenching 99-101 loss to the Denver Nuggets, falling behind 0-2 in their first-round series. The Lakers had a commanding 20-point lead at one point, but the Nuggets rallied back to maintain their perfect home record.
Following the embarrassing defeat, Lakers legend James Worthy expressed his disappointment with the team’s performance, particularly in the final quarter and a half. He criticized their sloppy play during the post-game show on Spectrum Sports, highlighting the team’s 15 turnovers, seven of which occurred in the second half, compared to the Nuggets’ mere two turnovers in the final two quarters.
Worthy also pointed to the Lakers’ poor rebounding, as the Nuggets grabbed nine offensive rebounds to the Lakers’ four. This disparity in ball security and offensive rebounding proved crucial in the Lakers’ inability to hold onto their substantial lead.
Despite the Lakers’ complaints about officiating, their lack of discipline ultimately cost them the game. After the game, players were furious about referee Scott Foster and his crew missing several calls, including a play in the third quarter where Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. appeared to make contact with D’Angelo Russell’s face on a layup attempt. The referees initially called a foul on the floor but overturned it after a challenge, deeming it as “minimal contact.”
Lebron James criticized the referees for the overturned call, while Russell also expressed his frustration on social media. James also voiced his displeasure with the officiating crew in the fourth quarter after they missed an apparent foul from Jamal Murray on the Lakers forward.
While the Lakers can point to the missed calls, their own mistakes were ultimately the reason they blew their 20-point lead and fell to an 0-2 deficit. If they fail to avoid rookie mistakes in Game 3 on Thursday, they risk being swept by the Denver Nuggets once again.
