LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Nikola Jokic had done absolutely everything within his power to will the Nuggets to a win.
It didn’t matter.
Anthony Davis’ buzzer-beating 3-pointer crushed the Nuggets’ hopes of another dramatic second-half comeback Sunday night and staked the Lakers to a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals. His dramatic shot, in the face of an outstretched Jokic, dropped the Nuggets 105-103. It’s the first time in Denver’s last five playoff series that it’s faced a 2-0 deficit.
“I want to take those shots,” Davis said. “This is what they brought me here for.”
“It feels like we’re down in the series, and we’ve gotta win Game 3,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “Whether you’re down 3-1 or 2-0, obviously next game is the biggest game for us.”
Jokic, who scored 11 consecutive points and had given the Nuggets the lead with a bully basket over Davis only moments earlier, finished with 30 points and nine assists in the devastating loss. Jamal Murray added 25, but the Nuggets couldn’t capitalize after erasing a 16-point second-half deficit.
The Nuggets missed five free throws in the fourth quarter, including four from reserve P.J. Dozier. The lanky guard had some huge defensive moments to keep on the court.
“He feels awful about the missed free throws,” Malone said.
LeBron James had 26 points and 11 rebounds, his first-half energy building the lead that the Nuggets nearly overcame. Davis scored 22 of his 31 in the second half, capped off by the stunning triple that saved Los Angeles’ collapse.
Down 16 with 8:12 left in the third quarter, the Nuggets played with the composure of a team that had already made NBA history. They hung in despite a barrage of Davis jumpers and kept plugging away on offense with careful, methodical possessions. Murray led the charge with 10 points in the quarter, as he and Michael Porter Jr. found twine from 3-point range. On defense, they forced six turnovers and held the Lakers to just 42% shooting. The Nuggets closed on a 24-12 run and faced just an 82-78 deficit heading into the fourth.
It was the exact same tenacious approach they used in coming back from two 3-1 deficits in the prior two rounds. Porter, in one of the most aggressive games he’s played in the postseason, had 15 points on 6-of-9 from the field.
After reviewing film from Game 1, Malone felt there was nothing wrong schematically with his team’s approach. They just had to play better. Turnovers, transition defense and urgency were all emphasized between games.
The Lakers showed so much speed coming out of Game 1 that Malone said his team had to reconsider how hard to crash the offensive glass off their own misses.
“But it’s definitely been a point of emphasis having offensive rebounding discipline,” Malone said. “Four and five can work the glass. We want one, two and three back. For our five men, if they’re on the perimeter, don’t even take a step towards the rim, just get back.”
The Nuggets benefited from a clunky first half where whistles and technical fouls slowed the pace of the game dramatically. Los Angeles took a 60-50 lead into halftime, which didn’t feel as large considering how many errors the Nuggets had made. They had 13 turnovers over the first two quarters, including many that were self-inflicted.
Their carelessness detracted from an otherwise decent half, where Jokic (14 points), Murray (10) and Porter (10) all found some semblance of rhythm. Jerami Grant tried diligently, but trying to stop James was akin to jumping in front of a train. Los Angeles’ All-NBA forward poured in 20 points in the first half.
When Howard came off the bench midway through the second quarter, it seemed his only job was to intimidate. His energy and physicality were infectious, but also detrimental. He picked up the Lakers’ first tech before assistant Phil Handy drew another.
“I think what you are seeing time and time again is benches are very loud when things are going their way,” Malone said presciently before the game. “It’s quiet as a church mouse when things aren’t going their way. A lot of front running benches.”
Following Game 1, where the officials became far too big a story, the referees put a quick stop to any extracurricular chatter.
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