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0 On Thursday night, the Denver Nuggets triumphed over the Los Angeles Lakers with a score of 114-106, ending the Lakers’ three-game winning streak. Jamal Murray was the star of the game, scoring an impressive 29 points, while Michael Porter Jr. contributed 27 points. Nikola Jokic also played a crucial role in the game, adding 24 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists.
The Nuggets, who are the defending NBA champions, opened a three-game road trip with their third straight win and eighth in 10 games. Despite blowing a 15-point lead in the second half, the Nuggets never trailed and eventually finished with a 10-2 run in the building where the Nuggets beat LA twice to sweep the Western Conference finals last May.
Denver coach Michael Malone praised his team’s poise on offense and executing, which allowed them to outscore the Lakers 10-2 in the final few minutes of the game. Anthony Davis was the highest scorer for the Lakers with 32 points, while LeBron James added 25 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. However, it was not enough to secure the win.
Before the game, the Lakers unveiled a 19-foot-tall bronze statue of Kobe Bryant outside their downtown arena, paying tribute to the late basketball legend. The Lakers played in their Black Mamba alternate uniforms, and the evening was filled with Bryant tributes before the crowd began chanting “Kobe! Kobe!” in the final minutes to urge on the current Lakers.
Unfortunately, the Lakers ran drastically short on guards during the game. D’Angelo Russell sat out with left knee soreness, and Max Christie, who started in his place, scored seven points before spraining his right ankle shortly before halftime. Jaxson Hayes, who had nine points and six rebounds for the Lakers, expressed his disappointment after the game, saying that it was a close loss, and they needed to lock in and get some more wins.
Both teams made no major moves at the trade deadline, but the Nuggets have more reason to feel optimistic about their championship-winning core than the up-and-down Lakers. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka decided to stand pat because he didn’t find a deal good enough to risk disruption of his roster’s chemistry and potential. Pelinka mentioned that he would have been allowed to trade only one first-round pick this month, but he’ll have three to move this summer in pursuit of a third superstar.
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