Don't think anybody's gonna beat Denver again this year.
AP for ESPN:
...a tenacious veteran core...
They play like that. They know each other so well.
...Denver stretched its winning streak in this lopsided rivalry to a whopping 11 games.
Against La-La Bron-Bron. Damn.
...defending NBA champion Nuggets win their seventh straight playoff meeting with James and the Lakers in dominating style.
...Denver, which took control in the third quarter and cruised through the final minutes to its fifth straight road win over Los Angeles, starting with its sweep of last season's Western Conference finals.
No NBA team has ever rallied from an 0-3 playoff deficit.
...the Lakers, who haven't beaten the Nuggets since Dec. 16, 2022 — and have rarely looked capable of ending that streak.
...Los Angeles, which surged into the postseason with largely outstanding play since the holidays, capped by an impressive play-in win over New Orleans to snatch the seventh seed. The Lakers had won 12 of 15 heading into this series — but now they're one loss away from failing to win a playoff round for the third time in four years since their 2020 NBA title.
All of that. Poof!
...Lakers coach Darvin Ham said about the Nuggets. “That starting group has been together for a long time.
It matters. What Erik Spoelstra calls "connectivity" matters and the longer a core has been together the more of it you have.
Davis and James were outstanding once again...
It just doesn't matter against Denver. Not even when you've got two HoF'ers playing their best, it doesn't matter against Denver.
D’Angelo Russell went scoreless in 24 minutes of play for the Lakers...Gordon had the highest-scoring playoff game of his 10 NBA seasons
You think: If we can keep A.D. and LBJ from beating us...But no. The "Nuggets" are a TEAM. If, which almost never happens, Fat Boy is off or not full on, or if Michael Porter, Jr. is not, then you have Aaron Gordon step up.
After blowing a 20-point lead in the second half of Game 2, the seventh-seeded Lakers were left feeling frustrated, outmanned — and occasionally confused, according to Davis, who said the Lakers sometimes don’t know what they’re doing when faced with Denver’s offensive versatility.
And coaching matters.
Los Angeles hadn't played a home game in 16 days, and it has won just once at home since March 24.
Jeezus.
Russell's disappearing act was compounded by another quiet game from starter Rui Hachimura...
To have a chance against the "Nuggets", you need everybody to be on their A-game. And usually that isn't enough.
While the Lakers' fans left the building in the final minutes, a small group in the Lakers' end chanted “Fire Darvin!”
Yeah, coaching matters too.
