The Lakers were very close to storming the Ball Arena, but a basket at the buzzer by Jamal Murray knocked down the Angelenos (101-99), who led by 20 in the third quarter. The tie is difficult for Darvin Ham’s team, as they have had 10 consecutive losses against the Nuggets.
The Lakers, who went through the play-in to access the playoffs, began wanting to hit the table. After not appearing in the first game of the tie, the Angelenos started dominantly, with a great Anthony Davis. ‘La Ceja’, who finished with 32 points and 11 rebounds, had a sensational first half, where he scored 11 of the 12 field goals he attempted to reach 24 points.
Davis’ superiority was reflected on the scoreboard, as the Lakers led by 20 (48-68) at the beginning of the third quarter. However, the Nuggets woke up, especially Jokic, with 27 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists. The regular season MVP favorite brought the Colorado team into the match, who tied the game with two minutes remaining.
LeBron tried to stop Denver’s reaction, with 26 points and 12 assists, but it was not enough. The Lakers’ substitutes did not help, since between Davis, James and Russell they scored 81 of the Angelenos’ 99 points. The one who did appear in the final moments was Murray, who fixed his poor performance. The Nuggets point guard, who finished with 20 points, had scored only six in the first three quarters, with a worrying three of 16 shooting.
The Canadian, one tenth from the end with the duel tied, threw unbalanced and with Davis on top of him. Despite the good defense of ‘La Ceja’, the shot went in and the Ball Arena fans exploded with joy, because they know the importance of the victory. The Angelenos travel to the Crypto.com Arena with the obligation to win a match to stay alive, although they have missed a valuable opportunity to knock down the champions.
In addition to the game between Nuggets and Lakers, Cavaliers-Magic and Knicks-Sixers were also played. The Cavs won 96-86, while New York won 104-101, in a heart-stopping duel. The Philadelphia team led 96-101 with 30 seconds remaining. However, Tom Thibodeau’s team scored two triples in 14 seconds, after stealing the ball in the rival court.
On the first day, all eight local teams won, something that has not happened since 2013. For now, in the first three games of the second, the seeded teams continue to assert their status as favorites. Of course, without as much ease as on the first date, when only the Pelicans and Sixers stood up as visitors.
