On a night where emotions were high for the Lakers faithful, they hosted the defending champion, Denver Nuggets. Before the game, a statue of the late and great Kobe Bryant was unveiled. To top it off, Los Angeles donned the Black Mamba jerseys, the black alternate jerseys worn a few years back when the team won their last title. It was a matchup where fans of both teams got their money’s worth. Denver never trailed, but the Lakers battled until the very end. At the end of the night, the core four of the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr., were simply too much for LeBron James and company. The defending champions won by a final score of 114-106.
Denver Nuggets Improve to 36-16 With Road Win Over Los Angeles Lakers
Notable Denver Nuggets of the Night
Nikola Jokic was dominant as usual as he came away with 24 points, nine assists, and 13 rebounds. He and Anthony Davis battled each other at a high level all night long. Jamal Murray was the high-point man for Denver as he logged 29 points. Murray also had 11 assists and shot a scorching 55.6 percent from beyond the arc. Something about the Los Angeles Lakers always unlocks the best in the Blue Arrow. Michael Porter Jr. was also red-hot in the win. He came away with 27 points, eight key rebounds, and was four for seven from three-point territory.
His last three-point make was the dagger after Austin Reaves left him open to go and try to steal the ball from Nikola Jokic. As one would expect, Jokic’s awareness was too good and he found MPJ for the wide-open look. Aaron Gordon was also instrumental in the win. He may have only had 11 points, but he also had a team-best box plus/minus rating of +18. Not to mention, Gordon made a couple of clutch plays in the final stretch of the fourth quarter. All in all, the Denver Nuggets proved in this matchup why they are the champions.
Key Performances for Los Angeles
There were a few Lakers who were impressive despite the heart-breaking loss. Anthony Davis scored a team-high 32 points to go along with nine total rebounds and four blocked shots. LeBron James had his usual star-like performance with 25 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists while shooting 45.0 percent from the field.
A role player who stepped up in this game was Jaxson Hayes. Hayes had many hustle plays to secure extra possessions and was a bright spot for Los Angeles’ second unit. He finished the night with a respectable line of nine points, six rebounds, and two blocks. While the Denver Nuggets ultimately ended up victorious, the Los Angeles Lakers can at least take pride in the fact that they kept it close until the end.
