Despite a raucous crowd that drowned out the Los Angeles Lakers’ pregame introductions, the defending NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets, were a bit slow off the blocks in their playoff debut Saturday night.
However, they quickly found their rhythm, revving up their offense and tightening their defense to clinch a 114-103 victory over the Lakers in the Western Conference playoff opener. Nikola Jokic led the charge with 32 points and 12 rebounds, extending the Nuggets' winning streak over the Lakers to nine games.
While LeBron James showcased his prowess with 19 first-half points, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from 32 feet that put the Lakers ahead 60-57, the Nuggets effectively contained the NBA's all-time leading scorer in the second half. James managed just nine points after halftime and didn't attempt a shot in the fourth quarter until there was just 1:20 left on the clock.
“We’re not backing down,” asserted Nuggets coach Michael Malone. “This is playoff basketball. You can't afford to fold just because you're down by 12 early. We know we're better than what we showed in the early going. That's a resilient team over there. They entered the playoffs in fine form, and it showed. LeBron was unstoppable initially; I thought he might drop 50 tonight with the way he was playing and shooting the ball.”