Anthony Davis took the podium in his absence. He was ready to respond to the variations of Monday night’s loss — a heartbreaking 101-99 loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of the Los Angeles Lakers first-round series — that happened but was not in its presentation. His face was dark and exhausted, his eyes covered by oversized glasses. Davis’ PPE designer couldn’t protect him from the scrutiny of the spotlight.
“Can you tell us about that last play and see what happened and what happened?” » asked the journalist. “I don’t know if you were tested or what happened on that last play.”
“Jamal Murray shot,” Davis said, slamming the microphone on the table.
The whistle of returns not only shook the atmosphere in the room but also amplified the pain as the opportunity presented itself to even the series and end a nine-game losing streak against the defending champions.
Now, the Lakers are 0-2 and face a must-win Game 3 at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday night. Here are three keys to a comeback victory for the Lakers.
Stay in the trap
Los Angeles led most of Game 2, thanks in large part to its defensive system. Before collapsing at the end of the third quarter, the Lakers took the bait and put pressure on Nikola Jokic and Murray at different points in the game.
The thing to note here is to have discipline and focus to maintain a tight rotation. The Lakers defense also had to cover the Nuggets backdoor. The zone run was near-perfect in the first half. In the third game, it took 48 minutes of work for the Lakers to win.
Recovery
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham pointed out rebounding as an area for improvement heading into Game 2. In the first half, it looked like the Lakers were doing things right. The Lakers dominated the Nuggets 22-21 in the first half. However, in the second half, the Nuggets outscored the Lakers 24-16.
Denver also converted 10 second-chance points into turnovers. Those second chances and extra possessions helped Denver come back in Game 2 and win. The Lakers couldn’t stop pounding the glass and creating second chances in Game 3. They couldn’t give the Nuggets any points in transition due to turnovers on shots.
Add Anthony Davis
Davis was forgotten in the fourth quarter of Game 2. In his 10 minutes, he took just one shot and didn’t score.
Ultimately, the Lakers need to keep Davis involved. A two-man matchup between LeBron James and Davis with plenty of iso action would put the Lakers in a better position to win.
Davis also had to impose his force. Ask for and receive the ball when mismatched. The Lakers’ clutch offense is simple: play AD more. Exploit various disparities.
If the Lakers play Davis down the stretch, limiting turnovers and unnecessary shots, they’ll finish the night 2-1 with a chance to take care of their home court in Game 4.