Optimism Discussion: The Laker's Sky Is Not Falling

When you play away from home, arguably the best player in the moment goes for 8-12-5 in 9 minutes and finishes with 34-21-14, they lead 3 quarters for double digits and up to 21, and you make it a possession game in the clutch, you gotta be optimistic.

We definitely need to take this game 2 though, make a statement that we are the better team.

This Denver team never made it to the Finals. There's some level of self-doubt that comes with that when you're at a top for so long with a multiple MVP and can't get to the finish line. I think winning this game 2 has a big mental toll on Jokic, Murray and Malone that will shift the momentum to us and make them trailing

 

Any other team gets blown off the floor against that level shooting.

we managed to make it close down the stretch and found some things that worked.

We need better play from our guards (though Reaves had a good second half) and Malone will make his own adjustments but there are some positives for us heading into Game 2.

 

Feel out game and we almost won.

 

Game 2 will be the most important game in the playoffs by far.

There were very encouraging signs in Game 1, so we need to carry that over and win Game 2.

If we come out flat, we’re losing the series in 5.

If we win, I firmly believe we can take them in 6.

If it’s a back and forth slugfest and we lose a close one I still think we have a chance but it’d be decided in a Game 7.

I think we got this. Coaching and strategy will be huge.

 

I thought before the series that AD on Jokic may not be ideal, as AD’s strengths defensively are roaming off the ball. I was even thinking we’d need to play Thompson or Bamba more. In retrospect that may not have worked out, so it was VERY encouraging to see Rui hold his own against Jokic because Rui also fits perfectly on the offensive side against the Nuggets.

Aside from that adjustment, I think we just started the game a little lackadaisical and out of sorts on offense. Once we settled down, they could not stop us from getting the looks we wanted on offense. So much easier to play defense off of made baskets so you can actually set your defense.

So overall I think we are better equipped to adjust and slow down their offense, then they are capable to stop our offense.

It’s not going to be easy, they already got a look at a major adjustment so will be able to counter it a bit. I’m just not sure they have the personnel to make drastic changes that will change the dynamics of how we played in the second half.

 

Denver played a near perfect Game at Home & we still had a chance to steal it at the end... That's encouraging.
If one of either DLO, Schroder or Walker has an even halfway decent game, the outcome would likely have been different.
Denver is a well oiled machine with the size to match ours, but they're definitely beatable..

 

Let Aaron Gordon beat us from the 3s. I can live with that.

 

Instead it was Bron that beat us from 3.

 

Denver barely won both games with every break going its way .

Maybe it's the Nuggets season but I'm confident this thing will be tied at 2-2 in four days

 

assuming lebron's ankle is ok, i actually expect us to take both at home.

 

yeah. The series isn’t over. Team has to dig deep and respond to adversity.

 

Game 3 should be an easy win , Game 4 not so much but yeah I still expect a close win .

 

This series is going exactly like GS -Sacramento.Two very close games on a road ,then championship pedigree comes through.
Still it's Lakers in 6

 

The Nuggets are 6-0 at home this postseason before series vs Lakers with an average victory margin of fourteen points.
Lakers only lost by 5 and 6 points..

On another side Lakers average victory margin at home is 16.5 points

 

Being 0-2 after losing both games in Denver is bad, not gonna lie, but it could definitely be worse. We could be like Boston and be 0-2 after losing both games at home.

 

The Los Angeles Lakers have a 4-1 record on May 20 in the playoffs all-time.

Lakers have played twice in history on May 20 at home.
They went to the Finals both years. The last time they played on this date was 23 years ago.
Lakers -Portland 109-94
We believe !!!

 

Random stats for the WIN ....