5 Things: Lakers Falter Down the Stretch

It seemed like we could do it. It felt like we kind of had the game under control at the start of the 4th quarter. The prospect of going back to LA with the series tied 1-1 seemed legit. As the 4th quarter unfolded that prospect got dimmer and dimmer with every missed three by LA (specifically LeBron James) and every made three by Jamal Murray. As a result the Lakers fly to LA down 2-0 and looking for answers.

1. Murray even better in the 4th in game 2. This doesn’t seem like a mystery to me. The Nuggets look to have Jokic dominate the first 3 quarters and then let Murray loose in the closing frame. It worked in game 1 when, despite playing with 5 fouls for most of the 4th quarter, Murray went off for 17 4th quarter points and buried the Lakers as LeBron couldn’t match him shot for shot. Two days later Murray went off even more and the Lakers were somehow caught off guard…again. This is not rocket science, the Lakers need to figure out the 4th quarter defensive game plan for this Nuggets team like yesterday.
2. Bad shots on tired legs. I can live with the threes from LeBron…when they’re the flow of things. He hasn’t shot many of those for a lot of the playoffs. Most of them feel like poorly timed, and shot, heat checks. Are some close to going in? Sure, maybe? But the fact is they’re not. He hasn’t made a 4th quarter three since the Memphis series. He’s 0-fer in this series in any quarter, and he’s shooting a dreadful and team-killing 23% from three overall. People spent a lotta time up Russell Westbrook’s ass, raking him over the coals, bemoaning his lack of accuracy but poor connection rate. One would expect (but won’t get) the same vitriol regarding James’ abysmal shooting.. The Lakers are far and away a better team when they do not jack up threes like the rest of the league seems addicted to. The Lakers should top out at 20-25 3PT FGAs/game unless someone is actually making them and last night nobody but Reaves was. In clutch moments in both game 1 and game 2 LeBron’s poor shot selection and inability to make a shot from distance has killed our 4th quarter mojo. We won’t even get into the multiple blown dunks and layups that could have also meant the difference in this game, suffice to say The King has never looked more human than against Denver in this series.
3. D’Angelo watching money slip away in this series. As good as he was in a couple games against Memphis and a game or two against Golden State one has to consider the playoffs as a bad showcase for what D-Lo can do. He’s certainly playing with less and less aggression as the playoffs go forward as all of his numbers have dipped in each series across the board to the point he’s essentially an overpaid non-factor, so far. His talent is real but one has to question both his drive and his mental fortitude after another blasé playoff showing in what has become the norm. The outliers are the games where he does well, is that a player the Lakers want to keep at the price tag he’s likely to command? I’m starting to doubt it.
4. Coach Ham getting outcoached by a wide margin. The Lakers seem to have no answer for the Denver high screen and roll. It’s not a special or an amazing play, literally every team runs it. But we can’t seem to fight through them, and when we slip under we give up wide open threes which Denver is canning when it counts. It’s not just Jokic and Murray. It’s Murray and MPJ and even Aaron Gordon shaking free for rim runs as the Lakers dither behind the screen seemingly flummoxed by the action. Nobody is blowing this play up and for all the praise AD got in how he was able to cover back to Golden State shooters on plays like this he’s seemingly now incapable of it one series later. Same with Schroeder who has gotten the bulk of the defensive assignment on Murray. Dennis looks like he’s gassed after the gauntlet of screens he’s navigated thus far and is dying on the screen more often rather than fighting through. Credit the Nuggets, they are hitting some impressive shots at times, but also the Lakers need to get into the body more of both the screener and the guy coming off it and force the issue a little more. The Lakers have not been the more physical team, thus far, and have let Denver dictate both pace and physicality. That speaks to a lack of minutes for Vando, in my opinion.
5. Reasons to hope. Reaves and Rui are balling out, D-Lo plays better at home, the law of averages dictates LeBron James will make at least one more three pointer before the season concludes, and AD plays great in odd games. Problem is the margin for error has now shrunk to basically zero. Need to stay unbeaten at home in the playoffs and come back to Denver with a winner takes all mentality and follow it up with a “don’t let the zombie walk again” mentality in game 6. I don’t have high hopes for a game 7 win. AD can’t have another bad game until the 2023-24 season. D-Lo needs to play like he cares what happens. LeBron needs to operate from the elbow to the baseline for the majority of the game. The Lakers need to figure out the Nuggets high screen and roll.

Getting dicey now, altitude will be an issue in game’s 5 and 7, should it come to it and we likely let our best chance to take back home court last night. It can still be done, just got a lot harder is all. Go Lakers.