A roar from the Rocky Mountains reverberated with the truth.

A night when the Lakers were forced to confront the truth, the reality swirled, stuck, and froze like the snow outside Ball Arena. However, the Lakers were able to get through.

They simply do not have the same level of talent as the Denver Nuggets.

Some of them are not as harsh. Their depth is not as great. It is not as proficient as they are. Their connection is not as strong.

It would be the greatest upset of the century if they were to triumph over the defending NBA champions in their first-round playoff series. They would have to overcome their loss in the first game, which occurred on Saturday, by a score of 114-103.

“I truly believe that it is still going to be a hard-fought series,” stated Darvin Ham, the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers players. Everyone is going to lose their minds over a single game… everyone should give them credit for their efforts. Serve was hosted in their residence. A formidable home team.”

No way. I do not believe it. The mind is full and unharmed. It is possible that the series will finally be fought with a lot of effort, but it surely seems to be short-lived.

It would be a significant achievement for the Lakers to win even a single game. They would consider it a miracle if they were to win two games in a row. Throw a parade for them if they win three games in a row.

It is simply not conceivable for the Lakers to win four of the next six games against a club that has defeated them nine times in a row. There is simply no scenario that looks to be possible.

After a victory for the Nuggets in front of a roaringly loud crowd that started the game with concern and ended it with jeering, those nine victories felt like three hundred and ninety.

In the middle of the second quarter, when the Lakers were really leading by a dozen points, the building went silent. However, the Lakers went on to hold on to a three-point advantage at halftime after LeBron James made a deep three-point shot right as the buzzer rang.

There was genuine optimism. After that, it became quite unpleasant.

An hour later, the Lakers had been smothered in the fourth quarter, outscored by 14 points in the third quarter, and had been hit in the mouth, jabbed in the ribs, shoved from here to Pikes Peak, and the game had ended with a scene that exemplified the entire evening.

James, who was fatigued, was shown tripping down the lane, fumbling the ball, and hitting the hardwood. He then lay prone on the court for several minutes, experiencing a great deal of pain, while the crowd of 19,000 cheered in delight above him.

Do you remember how the Lakers took great delight in the fact that they played the Nuggets to a close in each of the four games that they won in the Western Conference finals the previous season? They ought to be so fortunate this time around.

 

 

Once again, the Nuggets are the kind of team that can win championships. When it comes to the Lakers, they are not.

Ham’s voice was filled with the weight of his frustration as he uttered the words, “S—, it’s tough.”

However, when you allow your opponent to claim an incredible 15 offensive rebounds, which they then convert into 18 second-chance points, the Nuggets’ comeback is powered by an aggressiveness that the Lakers simply were not able to match.

The Nuggets scored twice off offensive rebounds, once off two offensive rebounds, as Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray appeared to be stuck to the ball while the Lakers appeared to be glued to the ground. This occurred while the Lakers were striving to bridge the gap between themselves and the opponent in the last minutes of the fourth quarter.

In response to Ham’s statement, “We can’t allow them to get multiple possessions,” “We need to achieve a higher level of discipline and perfection.”

This is a difficult situation to be in when your two top players shine while the rest of your squad fades away. All of the other players did nada as James and Davis scored 59 points, grabbed 20 rebounds, and assisted on 13 assists between them. Among the Laker reserves, just one player, Taurean Prince, managed to score. In a nutshell, the other Laker role players were terrible.

In an attempt to make up for the disastrous performance he had in the playoffs against Denver in the spring of last year, D’Angelo Russell continued his troubles by shooting six for twenty from the field, including one for nine from three-point range.

 

 

 

“Looks really stunning. I mean, I can’t possibly be angry,” he stated. When was the last time I received twenty shots? I can’t remember. As a result, I am aware of my capabilities, as evidenced by the fact that I was able to get twenty decent looks, not twenty “good,” but certainly five or six of them to be sure. I must admit that I am really excited. The prospect of that excites me.

It can be viewed in that manner, for example. I have a feeling that Lakers supporters have a different perspective on the matter.

Then there was Austin Reaves, who was aiming to duplicate the heroics he shown during the playoffs the previous spring. However, he only managed to make five baskets while being consistently defeated on defense. He finished the game with a minus-12, which is not the kind of figures that can fuel a Lakers’ success. He tied the team low for the lowest point total in the game.

His statement was, “They simply played better than we did.” “We will make an effort to perform better, and you should give that your due.”

However, how much easier is it for them to do? According to Reaves, it is challenging to compete against a team that is the complete antithesis of the Lakers in terms of being disciplined, focused, and cohesive.

 

 

 

 

According to Reaves, “It is difficult to do against a very well-coached and disciplined team, and they know exactly what they are going to get to every possession even when you are on runs.” It is imperative that we maintain that level of energy at all times, particularly during the third quarter, when we are coming out of halftime during the game.

 

 

 

Reaves questioned the consistency of his team’s intensity, and he stated that the Nuggets were “well-coached.” It is important to note that Reaves made these statements. There is a direct connection between the two observations and the seat of Ham, and it is reasonable to speculate that if the Lakers are swept once more, that seat might become relatively heated.

On the other hand, it is difficult to hold Ham accountable for players simply not showing up. Rui Hachimura has made two baskets, but Gabe Vincent and Spencer Dinwiddie have not even attempted to take a shot. Rui Hachimura is one of the other Lakers players who have not arrived. James and Davis both played at least forty minutes, but neither of them could carry the squad by themselves. Overall, it was not enough to sustain the efforts of James and Davis, who both played at least forty minutes.

James, in particular, appeared to be experiencing exhaustion, as he only took six shots and scored eight points in the second half of the game, despite having scored a dozen points in the first quarter.

Following that, I inquired of James whether there was a potential risk that the Lakers would recall the sweep they had experienced the previous year and say, “Here we go again.”

On the court, he resisted, in contrast to some of his colleagues who were there.

His words were, “I never allow myself to fall into the mindset of ‘here we go again.'” That’s just one game. It was their home court that they protected. We have another chance to come back and improve on Monday, so we should take advantage of it. What we are aware of is how difficult it is going to be. We are aware of how challenging this adversary is as well as how impressive they are. Accordingly, all of that is a component of the game. I do not allow myself to be in a state of doubt. I am not like that. No, I’m not the right person to ask.”

 

 

 

OK, so it is necessary for someone to say it.