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LakerTom wrote a new post
“It’s all about sustainability. It doesn’t matter what you can do throughout the first 47½ minutes. You got to close the game, which we didn’t do. We got to do a better job of that.”
– LeBron Jameshttps://t.co/0h0uNC4wQ9
— The Lakers Review (@TheLakersReview) April 24, 2024
As the Lakers were rolling through the final third of the NBA season, their identity complete with Rui Hachimura in the starting lineup and their offense humming, a trend was quietly developing.
The Lakers, over those 32 games with Hachimura cemented as a starter, were the second-best offense in the NBA in the first half, scoring 121.8 points per 100 possessions.
In those second halves of those game? The rating dropped to 114.9 points per 100 possessions — sixth best.
Still good — but not as good as in the first half.
Through two games in the playoffs, the differences are even more stark.
In the first halves of Game 1 and 2, the Lakers have been right at their regular-season efficiency — 121.4 points per 100 possessions. But after Denver has made its second-half adjustments, the numbers have cratered.
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) hits the game-winning basket against.
LAKERSLakers lose to Nuggets in Game 2 heartbreaker on Jamal Murray buzzer-beater
April 23, 2024In 48 second-half minutes in this series, the Lakers have scored only 92.2 points per 100 possessions while allowing Denver’s offense to be the most efficient in the postseason, scoring 129.5 per 100.
It’s the difference between the Lakers having an edge in the series and the 2-0 hole they’re facing ahead of Game 3 on Thursday
Coach Darvin Ham said the team’s film session Wednesday illuminated the side of the court where the Lakers have struggled — on offense — when he’s seen his team inexplicably hit the brakes.
“We talk about maintaining our pace. And not just running up and down fast, throwing up quick shots,” Ham said. “It’s just doing things with a sense of urgency, whether it’s full court and being disciplined with our running habits or in the half court, creating an advantage with our separation, running into a pick-and-roll situation, actually getting a hit. And whoever is handling the ball, really putting pressure on the paint to score or make the pass.”
The Nuggets, who had the eighth-ranked defense in the regular season, flipped their coverages in the second half Monday in Game 2, moving Nikola Jokic off of Anthony Davis and using Aaron Gordon on him. Davis scored just two points after the switch — one made basket in the final 22 minutes of action.
Ham said it’s a fine line between making sweeping in-game adjustments and sticking with the game plan that helped work so well in those first halves.
“You have to be careful. You have to understand why you failed at something,” Ham said. “It’s not just, ‘we failed, let’s scrap the whole plan and go this way.’ No. You have to understand why things went the way they went.
2 Comments -
LakerTom wrote a new post
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LakerTom wrote a new post
No lineup changes for the Lakers in Game 3. Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt remain out pic.twitter.com/0jS7OAjGpC
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 25, 2024
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It felt like this was extremely optimistic from the onset…not sure what they’re gonna be able to contribute anyway after being out for so long. Kawhi showed alotta rust last night after missing just 9 games. But they couldn’t be much worse than our other reserves so far; only Prince has scored off the bench.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
33 teams in NBA history have come back from down 0-2.
LeBron has done it three times (2007, 2016, 2018)
The odds may be stacked against us, but I refuse to lose hope. 😤 pic.twitter.com/t3MJ1jMmH4
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) April 24, 2024
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LakerTom wrote a new post
JJ Redick is a ‘serious candidate’ for the Hornets’ head coaching position and could land ANOTHER interview, per @ShamsCharania
“JJ Redick has interviewed for the Charlotte Hornets head coaching job, I'm told, he could have another interview soon as well, he's a serious… pic.twitter.com/iFcaiH6Wc1
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 24, 2024
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Great move by Hornets. Hiring a player who’s obviously smart and knows the game makes a lot of sense. Lakers should seriously consider trying to hire Rajon Rondo as their next head coach.
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Tom Rondo was arrested for DUI, drug possession and a gun violation. He also has two restraining orders from a woman that he threatened her life. He had a 2nd gun violation because he was prohibited by the court from carrying a gun. Do you really think someone is going to hire him as a coach?
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Michael, how do you compare Rondo’s off-court record to coach Udoka of the Houston Rockets? I just want to know your opinion.
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Aloha Buba, Udoka got in trouble for vulgar language around women and an inappropriate relationship with a female employee. Not the same as Rondo’s criminal behavior.
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A place like Charlotte is a great spot for a 1st timer with little/no head coaching experience. Little pressure, lower expectations,
young roster with time to grow together. Lakers ain’t a starter job.-
Why not Phil Handy? He has the support of the players and is highly respected inside the organization and outside as well.
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I think he is the logical choice. Mongo is probably right that the Lakers are a tough job for a rookie coach.
Then again, there are some guys you know are going to be great. I think Rondo falls in that category although the stuff Michael brought up need some more explanation.
At any rate, it doesn’t look like the Lakers are going to make a change at this point.
LeBron is the only one who could change that dynamic. He has the leverage this summer.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
"We still gonna win. Don't give up on us."
– D'Angelo Russell pic.twitter.com/oq8gedgtsc
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) April 24, 2024
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LakerTom wrote a new post
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Lakers Legend Gets Brutally Honest With Los Angeles Coaching Staff After Nuggets Loss https://t.co/yzCy7rwZni
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) April 24, 2024
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LakerTom wrote a new post
1 Comment -
LakerTom wrote a new post
Lakers Will Be Better From Game 2 Buzzer-Beating Loss To Nuggets https://t.co/oUwOGVcihw
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) April 24, 2024
Murray had 14 points in the final frame, scored the last six for his team and that is all he needed to get the job done. Ham broke down what he saw during that final sequence leading up to the buzzer-beater.
“They came down, they wanted to get their two best players in the action, which they did,” Ham said after losing 101-99. “Jamal Murray hit a tough shot. Fading away on the baseline to his right, AD with an outstretched arm and good contest, kid hit a tough shot.”
The Lakers cannot overcome the boogeyman as after starting both games strong, they’ve shot themselves in the foot. Denver capitalizes off every missed opportunity and no lead is truly never safe against them, if that is not clear by now. Ham was asked about the second-half struggles once again and believes the team will be better from last night’s performance but stressed that they can’t take any possessions off.
“Once we watch the game, we’ll figure that out,” he said. “We played a solid basketball game defensively for three quarters. That’s a tough team, you got to come with it. You can’t take any possessions off. The ball gets knocked around, it falls into Michael Porter’s hands and he hits a big 3 for them. So we got to be on deck at all times versus this ballclub. Offensively, we got some good stuff, Bron had it going, DLo had it going from 3.
“We’ll be better from this, definitely will be better from it. They did what they were supposed to do, they held serve. Again, it’s not the first to one, two or three. It’s the first two four. We just got to go home and do the same starting with Game 3.”
Now, it becomes an even taller task to pull off this first-round upset for the Lakers. Once this series wraps up, L.A. has nobody to blame but themselves as they cannot execute at a high enough level down the stretch of games.
Game 3 now likely decides the fate of the Lakers’ season, so it will be interesting to see if Ham has his team ready to go.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
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While many NBA observers have already written the Lakers off after having lost ten straight games to the Nuggets, the reality despite the record is that the two teams are fairly evenly matched when both are fully healthy.https://t.co/UrOzzXPZyO pic.twitter.com/NWRObW61bZ
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) April 24, 2024
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Tom you know my take on this. Even though we lost a game on Monday we should have won, we also know what we have to do better. First we need to crash the boards. If Vando & Wood can play rebounding will help. 2nd need to cut down on stupid turnovers. Bron & DLo have turned into turnover machines the last 2 games. Have to take care of the ball. 3rd Austin and Rui have to be more aggressive making Murray and MPJ play defense & maybe getting tired and in foul trouble. Get Austin into pick and roll with Bron, AD to force a switch or make Murray have to play hard defense. Every time they let Austin stay outside, Murray gets rest.
Rebounding, Less Turnovers & Austin/ Rui Aggression (P&R Austin w/Bron or AD). We do that we can consistently ourscore Denver (our defense has been good otherwise) & win next 2 and game 6 at Crypto, split the other 2 games in Denver & win in 6 or 7.
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The Lakers’ problem is they’re missing two of their bigs in in 6′ 10″ forward Jarred Vanderbilt and 6′ 10″ forward Christian Wood. That’s left them with just three playable bigs: Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Jaxson Hayes.https://t.co/UrOzzXPZyO pic.twitter.com/Z3E1QU7fFu
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) April 24, 2024
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The Bad News!
The Bad News is the Los Angeles Lakers lost their 10th straight game to the Denver Nuggets, blowing a 20-point lead and opportunity to steal home court advantage and set themselves up to win the series in L.A. in 6 games.https://t.co/UrOzzXPZyO pic.twitter.com/AUf8cAPN0j
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) April 24, 2024
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After losing their 10th straight game to Denver Nuggets, the odds of the Los Angeles Lakers turning things around and beating the world champions in four of the next five playoff games don’t even qualify as a puncher’s chance.https://t.co/UrOzzXPZyO pic.twitter.com/L5rdOlTVtg
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) April 24, 2024
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The Good News!
The good news is, though the path is challenging and the odds long, the Los Angeles Lakers still have a realistic opportunity not only to win this series but also to win the Western Conference and make it to the NBA Finals.https://t.co/UrOzzXPZyO pic.twitter.com/A1bnnkg8kJ
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) April 24, 2024
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The basketball gods giveth and taketh. Sometimes, what almost kills a team actually makes them better. The Lakers are angry and hungry and still have a viable path not only to winning this series but also winning #18.https://t.co/UrOzzXPZyO pic.twitter.com/y1ZxghQGC7
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) April 24, 2024
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Here’s one thing that I’ve barely heard mentioned today. Lakers came outta halftime and D.Ham actually made a great adjustment by milking the LBJ/AD pick & roll and they were destroying the Nuggs with it. Then Malone counters with putting Gordon on AD instead of Joker. D.Ham had no answer, you barely heard from AD the rest game and that was the beginning of the downfall. Look for that matchup on Thurs.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Big question is what does LeBron think of Darvin as his head coach?
It would be an obvious & logical move to make sure you have a coach you trust before signing to remain a Laker for the next three years.
We hear all the time about LeGM. Maybe it's time for James to be that. https://t.co/778qWk2vqn pic.twitter.com/KPSrNbo4S6
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) April 23, 2024
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AD said what everyone watching the game saw. The Lakers had no idea what they were doing down the stretch. Thats on the coaching staff. The Nuggets made in game adjustments. The Lakers didn’t. AD got one shot in the 4th. You can’t have that if you are a coach.
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So who’s on the list? Fans thought D.Ham was a great choice too. I really don’t wanna see another 1st timer but that severely limits the choices.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
D'Angelo Russell sends Lakers fans important message after Game 2 heartbreak https://t.co/nbpApnR5Oe
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) April 23, 2024
The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a gut-punching loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 2. They were up 20 in the Mile High City only to watch their lead slowly slip away. Jamal Murray hit the game-winning shot over Anthony Davis and left Lakers Nation feeling heartbroken and dejected.
AD sounded off after the game as did other Lakers. They were upset about the officiating, coaching, and losing a tough game to fall behind 0-2 in the series. The Nuggets swept LA on their way to the 2023 championship and have won ten straight over the Lakers. Ham has been a problem, but LeBron James and company must win on Thursday to have any chance in this series.
Monday’s loss was the type that can break a team. The Lakers gave their best effort. LeBron was lights out down the stretch. Davis had 32 points and D’Angelo Russell got hot after a rough Game 1. It would be easy for LA to fold, but D-Lo is not letting that happen.
D’Angelo Russell urges fans not to give up with a positive message
Russell had just 13 points in Game 1 on six of 20 shooting from the field. He made just one of his nine 3-point attempts after struggling in the conference finals series against the Nuggets in 2023. D-Lo has been a key piece for the Lakers all season and head coach Darvin Ham had faith in him heading into Game 2.
Russell responded by hitting six threes, dropping six assists, and finishing with 23 points in 39 minutes of action. He was a crucial part of building the massive lead, and the Lakers outscored Denver by four with him on the floor.
After Monday’s loss, D-Lo made it clear that the LA was going to win this series on his podcast Discord. Fans should not give up. The Nuggets won two games in Denver. The Lakers still just need to steal one game in the Mile High City and take care of business in Los Angeles. Nothing will be easy against the defending champions, but the Lakers have the talent and produced plenty of positives in Game 2.
They need the fan’s help as the series shifts to Crypto.com Arena on Thursday night. Expect a sellout crowd, but the Lakers need them cheering loud for the home team. LeBron James is still elite and Anthony Davis deserves All-NBA consideration. They can win two games in LA and shift the series back to Denver tied at two games apiece. The Lakers need D’Angelo Russell and others to step up too. It will take a total team effort to beat the Nuggets.
This series is far from over. The Los Angeles Lakers desperately need to snap their losing streak against the Nuggets and get on the board. One win could sway things, and the pressure will continue to mount on the defending champs. Can LA take advantage? D-Lo thinks they can. Stay tuned to find out if he is right.
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What’s becoming obvious to me is that what the Lakers need for this team to be championship quality is a starting center who can play alongside Anthony Davis in a two-bigs lineup. A player like Myles Turner, Naz Reid, Jonathan Isaac, or Lauri Markannen.
We also need an elite point-of-attack defensive guard whom we can pair with DLO in our starting backcourt. A guard like Jrue Holiday or Alex Caruso or Marcus Smart.
Forget chasing Trae Young or another $40M star who cannot defend and instead look to do exactly what the Boston Celtics did last summer, Find a modern two-way starting center and elite 3&D POA two-way starting shooting guard.
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Say LT, what would be the Minimum Salary a team would have to pay him if he just wanted to walk away and join another team?
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I think DLO has proven he’s worth >25M/year. He could be worth $30M for the right team in right situation. He’s an elite volume 3-point shooter and high quality playmaker. How he plays the rest of this series will be huge factor though. DLO needs to play big next 2 games.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
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From DLO article:
The Los Angeles Lakers let a prime opportunity slip away in Game 2 against the Denver Nuggets. After accumulating a 20-point lead, the team fell apart in the second half and allowed the Nuggets to come back and tie the game.
As the clock expired, Jamal Murray hit the game-winning jumper to send the Lakers back to Los Angeles down 0-2. There are many reasons why the Lakers lost the game but controversial officiating didn’t help. In the fourth quarter, Michael Porter Jr. was called for a foul while D’Angelo Russell was going for a layup.
After review, the officials overturned the call and Denver got the ball. However, some believed that the officials made the wrong decision. LeBron James called out the officials while Russell took to X to express that he believed that he was fouled.
Russell was clearly struck in the head by Porter but it came after his shot went up. Clearly, they didn’t think it was enough to warrant a foul. Had that call gone the other way, the Lakers may have never been in a position where Murray could hit a game-winning shot.
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Lakers want it to be about this but it’s not. It just isn’t. The issue was taking their foot off the gas with a big lead late in the 4th. AD not being able to contain Jokic one-on-one. Rebounding…again…
It’s about the simple fact, and make no mistake it is a fact, that Denver believes they are, and probably is, better than us.
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The Lakers played 83 regular season games and averaged over 24 free throw attempts per game. Our of 83 games, there were only 4 games where they had 13 or fewer attempts. Last night was 5th.
The play I don’t understand at all is DLO’s shooting foul getting reversed when he obviously got hit in the head. That he had let go of the shot doesn’t matter and a hit in the face in not incidental.
And nobody can tell me LeBron gets fair refereeing. That silly foul on him late in the 4th was inept and unfair, especially considering every time he drives he gets clobbered w/o any whistle.
Just call the game fair and the same for all 10 players.
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There’s a good argument the refs failure to make calls was a contributing factor to the Lakers losing the game since the difference in the end was a bucket at the buzzer. This was the 5th lowest number of free throw attempts by the Lakers the entire season. In fact, Nuggets actually got more attempts than Lakers.
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We’re a veteran team and gotta know playoff basketball is a different beast from the regular season. The league actually acknowledged they instructed the refs to swallow their whistles DURING the season.. we thought it would change now? You have to make the adjustment. It was a huge disappointment to see our coach and 3 best players immediately bitching about the refs following that collapse.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
#Lakers could be getting Jarred Vanderbilt back in Game 3.https://t.co/8U6z3qeLzb pic.twitter.com/WutruiPxyw
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) April 23, 2024
Christian Wood returning immediately reminds me of the Lakers running a successful 3 big lineup of AD, Wood, & Hayes against the Clippers early in the season. You already can run a steady dose of 2 big now, might as well pull out the big guns. https://t.co/k6SFsLao2E pic.twitter.com/1bBmFJ8uCd
— Ishan Ghosh (@ishanghosh824) April 21, 2024
BREAKING: Both Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood are targeting Game 3 against the Nuggets to make their returns, per @mcten
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) April 23, 2024
1 Comment -
LakerTom wrote a new post
Nikola Jokić drops 27 PTS, 20 REB, 10 AST as Denver COMES BACK FROM 20 DOWN to beat the Lakers 101-99 and take a 2-0 series lead! 🤯
Jamal Murray had 20 PTS, 3 REB, 5 AST, 2 BLK and the GAME-WINNER! pic.twitter.com/WoDibDrfWf
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) April 23, 2024
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Recent posts
Lakers searching for right adjustments and when to make them
- April 25, 2024
Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt remain out
- April 24, 2024
33 teams in NBA history have come back from down 0-2
- April 24, 2024
D’Angelo Russell: “We still gonna win. Don’t give up on us.”
- April 24, 2024
What does LeBron think of Darvin as his head coach?
- April 23, 2024
This is the difference in the series. In game adjustments.