2024 NBA Playoffs: West 1st Round: #2 Denver Nuggets vs #7 Los Angeles Lakers (DEN WINS 4-1)

[The High Cyde]

Love to see it as a LeBron fan. Great game from him and AD, both have been demons in this series, but Jokic is something even more monstrous than them, which is crazy af, truly a top 5 talent to ever grace the court, mofo is averaging a 28 point triple double on godly efficiency. Bron and AD are clearly the second and third best players in the series but after that it’s basically all Nuggets.
Man it would’ve been something to see peak/prime LeBron in this league, but amazing he can still get up to like 75% of his prime at this age.

[Cubbies2120]

Congrats to the Lakers for averting the sweep. They did two things they haven't done all series: outrebound the Nuggets and committed less turnovers. AD getting 23 rebound was the the difference maker here. It really should be 2-2 instead of 3-1. The game 2 choke job is what will haunt them.

Other points:
- Jokic was embarrassing defensively. He just showed no effort at all on that end. The Lakers had 72 points in the paint. Everyone was attacking the basket and scoring at will with no resistance at all. It was easily the worst performance he's had in a very long time because he did absolutely nothing on defense.
- The Nuggets bench finally got outplayed by the Lakers bench. I knew the honeymoon phase wasn't going to last long. Sure enough, it didn't.

Oh well, got to close it out in game 5.

Sorry you and I must have watched a different game. Jokic had 33/14/14 FYI so he definitely doesn't deserve any blame. Defensively the team as a whole was a mess and there's only so much Jok can do.

Murray put up his usual stinker (9-23) and all the wings let their guys waltz into the paint left and right so there was little to nothing Jokic could do when the guards are laying down the red carpet.

[durden_tyler]

The Nuggets have been kind of careless this series. It's over but if Game 2 went just a tiny bit little differently we're talking 2-2 right now. They're going to need to be more checked in than that against Minnesota

All season long (and last year too) Denver has played down the level of the competition.

With a team this good, expectation is for a sweep so anytime there is an “upset” loss (like tonight), the fans suddenly forgets who they are and well, the Lakers fans, they talk theoreticals.

They forget that the Nuggets are a top seed for a reason and that the Lakers are a playin team.

No worries though since this will be fixed by Tuesday, when LeBron and the Lakers are ousted and Jokic and the Nuggets start their preparation for the Wolves.

[NCHeels2008]

Nuggets finally got more FTAs and caught the L with it

[EmpireFalls]

The Nuggets have been kind of careless this series. It's over but if Game 2 went just a tiny bit little differently we're talking 2-2 right now. They're going to need to be more checked in than that against Minnesota

All season long (and last year too) Denver has played down the level of the competition.

With a team this good, expectation is for a sweep so anytime there is an “upset” loss (like tonight), the fans suddenly forgets who they are and well, the Lakers fans, they talk theoreticals.

They forget that the Nuggets are a top seed for a reason and that the Lakers are a playin team.

No worries though since this will be fixed by Tuesday, when LeBron and the Lakers are ousted and Jokic and the Nuggets start their preparation for the Wolves.

The intensity definitely, that’ll need to be fixed for Minny and will be.

The bench production and the fact that they have, at best, 6 playable guys at the moment?

I’m not sure that’s fixable

[ArksNetsSince99]

Nuggets game plan is to hack Lbj every drive to the basket

He shot 2 fts tonight

Two games in a row they’re letting everything go, but called two soft fouls for him on passes. He’s clearly frustrated about the inconsistency of his calls and what’s a foul

Do you think Lakers can take this in 7 ? Barring there is no way Lonnie can come back this season

[durden_tyler]

The Nuggets have been kind of careless this series. It's over but if Game 2 went just a tiny bit little differently we're talking 2-2 right now. They're going to need to be more checked in than that against Minnesota

All season long (and last year too) Denver has played down the level of the competition.

With a team this good, expectation is for a sweep so anytime there is an “upset” loss (like tonight), the fans suddenly forgets who they are and well, the Lakers fans, they talk theoreticals.

They forget that the Nuggets are a top seed for a reason and that the Lakers are a playin team.

No worries though since this will be fixed by Tuesday, when LeBron and the Lakers are ousted and Jokic and the Nuggets start their preparation for the Wolves.

The intensity definitely, that’ll need to be fixed for Minny and will be.

The bench production and the fact that they have, at best, 6 playable guys at the moment?

I’m not sure that’s fixable

Yes, that’s something to watch out for. Bench has done zilch in the LA series so maybe they’ll play better in the next round,

You are correct, this inconsistent intensity may fly against a low-quality team like LA, but may be exposed against a good team like Minnesota.

[KyRo23]

Nuggets game plan is to hack Lbj every drive to the basket

He shot 2 fts tonight

Two games in a row they’re letting everything go, but called two soft fouls for him on passes. He’s clearly frustrated about the inconsistency of his calls and what’s a foul

Do you think Lakers can take this in 7 ? Barring there is no way Lonnie can come back this season

If we had Lonnie, I think we take it in 7. Unfortunately, that isn't the case

[ArksNetsSince99]

Two games in a row they’re letting everything go, but called two soft fouls for him on passes. He’s clearly frustrated about the inconsistency of his calls and what’s a foul

Do you think Lakers can take this in 7 ? Barring there is no way Lonnie can come back this season

If we had Lonnie, I think we take it in 7. Unfortunately, that isn't the case

[LaLover11]

Do you think Lakers can take this in 7 ? Barring there is no way Lonnie can come back this season

If we had Lonnie, I think we take it in 7. Unfortunately, that isn't the case

We have Dinwiddie now

[Mamba Mentality]

Nuggets finally got more FTAs and caught the L with it

What you mean finally? They bitched after game 1 and have had the advantage ever since. Lebron shot 2 the whole game today despite attacking the basket like a mad man. Funny how there isn’t a peep about it on this board though…

[EmpireFalls]

I just saw there’s a 3 day break between games 5 and 6. I give Denver a 98% chance in G5 but if they somehow don’t close it out then, that’s not a position I’d want to be in going back to LA…

[ArksNetsSince99]

If we had Lonnie, I think we take it in 7. Unfortunately, that isn't the case

We have Dinwiddie now

Brooklyn legends , Dinwiddie and DAngelo

[durden_tyler]

FYI: the series line for this matchup opened at Nuggets -2.5 (games) so Denver was really expected to lost at least a game this series. LA showed good effort but let’s not act like they did something special already. LOL

[BigGargamel]

Man, the countless sweep memes featuring LeBron I saw all over the net the last couple of days. The parade will have to wait 1 more game, MJ/Kobe fans. Disappointing night for you guys.

LOL so this is what it's come to? Congratulations on not getting swept I guess?

[AleksandarN]

This is a good loss for the Nuggets. A wake up call for them. I think they needed it. Terrible effort. You are not winning a playoff game with that effort

[BigGargamel]

Murray has quietly been garbage this series. I can definitely see LAL extending this series to 6 or even 7. Especially when AD is playing at this level on offense

Lakers win 1 out of 12 games and somehow they're gonna win 3 in a row? Never change, Real GM.

Still zero worries about winning this series obviously, but I am worried about Denver's effort. This isn't going to fly against Minnesota, OKC or Dallas. Those are actual good teams.

[Special_Puppy]

FYI: the series line for this matchup opened at Nuggets -2.5 (games) so Denver was really expected to lost at least a game this series. LA showed good effort but let’s not act like they did something special already. LOL

I said before this series that Denver would win in 5 if they weren't frauds.

[GeorgeSears]

Nuggets finally got more FTAs and caught the L with it

What you mean finally? They bitched after game 1 and have had the advantage ever since. Lebron shot 2 the whole game today despite attacking the basket like a mad man. Funny how there isn’t a peep about it on this board though…

To be fair, there was literally NO resistance. It was a layup line.

[SweaterBae]

Jamal Murray with 92 shots to score 86 points in these playoffs.