Denver Nuggets @ LA Lakers 2-28-2010 plays & in-depth analysis
About half an hour to tip off and no word on whether Kenyon Martin will play. If Kenyon doesn’t play the Nuggets will have a hard time winning in the paint.
- Image by Getty Images via Daylife
The last two times the Nuggets and the Lakers played, Ty Lawson had his best and second-best performance of the season. His short stature makes him difficult to guard by the giant frontcourt LA employs. I will be watching Ty Lawson very closely today.
A couple bench players out for LA (Sasha Vujacic -sprained right shoulder; Luke Walton-pinched nerve), and general bumps and bruises all around the lineup: Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, Pao Gasol-not listed on the injury report, but let’s be honest, he’s always hurt.
A high foul game would favor the Nuggets.
1st Quarter
9:18 The game begins about as expected.
Nuggets are showing commitment to the isolations while the Lakers are trying to vary the paint scoring with jump-shooting, as the triangle offense is wont to do.
8:51-6:21 Nuggets go on an early 12-4 run due to all-around good defense.
Only one uncontested shot, a three pointer by Ron Artest on a steal half way through the run. The Lakers try to stop the run halfway with a timeout in between some Carmelo Anthony FTs. So the run could easily be 13-4 in a moment and might continue into the next few minutes.
Offensively, the Nuggets are knifing to the basket now in their isolations, which is opening up the jump-shooting as well as adding in some paint points.
4:13 The Lakers are maintaining the deficit with some solid paint defense and missed Nuggets FT.
(I’m looking at you Nene,) but they can’t make up any ground because they are content to jump-shoot and can’t get anything to fall.
At some point they have to get back to the rim or this will be an easy Nugget win.
1:13 J. R. Smith is guarding Kobe?
I have my doubts about this strategy but out the gate it pays off; Kobe forced to pass off under too much duress to shot on the first touch, throws up an unbalanced brick on the second, and J.R. steals a pass to Kobe on the next possession.
A frustrated Kobe yells at the refs and earns himself a Technical.
End Period. Nuggets 29-21
Nuggets are driving the lane and knifing to the basket on isolations, the Lakers are settling for jump shoots; that’s about the story of the game. Jump-shooting is a tempting siren, but it will burn you more than it saves you (take note of this Orlando)
2nd Quarter
9:35 The story of the game continues into the second.
The Nuggets are adding two points here and two points there to their lead. I find myself wondering why Phil Jackson isn’t making any adjustments.
Carmelo is starting to heat up.
7:53 Nuggets get to the basket again and force a foul again.
Meanwhile the Lakes could make a jumper to save their lives. This is amazing that the Lakers are letting this continue.
5:08 The Lakers’ first drive of the game in the last 10+ minutes gets a foul.
The Lakers finally realize what was obvious; 8 points too late and now trailing by 11. Nice adjustment LA. The Nuggets on the other hand have abandoned their isolations and are just driving the lane.
Working for now.
3:54 I checked the stats, the Lakers have a slight edge in rebounds.
But the Nuggets are getting the crucial ones. The Lakers are showing some commitment in getting to the rim finally, and are back to maintaining the deficit.
End Quarter. Nuggets 52-43
Quite simply, the Nuggets have a better game plan than the Lakers do.
It’s not any real individual excellence or deficiency, not any unbalanced calls, just better strategy. The Nuggets are balancing their attack between Isolation and drives, with some high percentage jump-shots interspersed. The Lakers are depending entirely on jump-shooting. There you go, 9 point lead.
One troubling point, the Nuggets haven’t been able to make this first half count quite as much as they could. Shooting is down (40%) and FT should be better (16-23). If the Nuggets shoot a little bit better they could easily be up by 15. Not taking full advantage of your chances is a good way to give up a winnable game.
3rd Quarter
9:50 Nuggets open the second half with 4 straight misses (3 jumpers and a layup)
The Lakers close to 3 points, all six points by the Lakers being scored in the paint. In fact only one shot in the quarter taken outside the paint. This game is now up for grabs with bad shooting.
10:57-7:56 Lakers go on a 10-2 run that withstands a Nuggets timeout.
A plethora of poor jump-shots by the Nuggets, and good jump-shooting by the Lakers. Nuggets need to find the way back to the rim. The run ends when Anthony drives to the rim on a left side isolation (finally) and earns a foul.
7:32-5:22 Nuggets follow the Lakers 10-2 run with a 10-0.
Afflalo jump-shooting was the reason for the run, 2-2 with a three pointer to force a Lakers timeout.
3:49 Lakers getting better balance in their offense all quarter.
Solid paint defense is maintaining the lead for the Nuggets. They look incompetent in the offensive half cour; 0 shots and 3 TO since the run.
5:11-0:17 Lakers go on a 14-6 run to close the third.
14 point in 5 minutes is not an awful defensive effort (especially the defense on Kobe 1-9 FG, 6 points), but only 6 points in 5 minutes is pretty paltry. The Lakers’ defense is swiping at every ball and contesting every shot. The Nuggets haven’t run an isolation in 7+ minutes.
End Quarter. Nuggets 70-67
The Lakers pull back in with some great defense. 7 Laker steals shuts down the Nuggets’ offense. Nuggets need to get back to what they do best, driving on the isolation for foul shots.
4th Quarter
10:50 First Lakers lead since the first quarter 74-72.
Nuggets can’t make a basket in any way. They couldn’t put the Lakers away when they had momentum, and now are caught in doldrums while Los Angeles makes them pay for it.
7:11 Lakers have taken full control of the game.
As I think back to the turning point; right about the time Lawson left the game with an injury was about when LA began to figure it out.
12:00-7:57 Lakers open the final period with a 15-4 run.
Nuggets can’t get anything going offensively. The run ends with an Afflalo 3 pt in the right corner.
6:17-5:20 Nuggets rattle off 8 quick points to turn this thing back into a game.
Still taking way too many jump-shots, but they are falling. The Nuggets have taken every single rebound in the last two minutes.
2:13 Melo fighting for position with Artest commits an offensive foul, his sixth.
I didn’t realize Melo was in foul trouble. Now the Nuggets are in trouble down by four with their best player out. Someone needs to step up to the challenge.
1:59 Lakers run an isolation to Kobe, jump shot missed.
1:18 Nuggets throw up 3 of the worst shots they’ve ever taken.
Denver looks absolutely inept in the offensive half. J.R. Smith launched two of the guaranteed bricks from 5 feet behind the line. This game is over.
0:12 Lakers are into foul shots with a 6 point lead.
End Game: Lakers 95-89
I don’t know exactly when the Nuggets forgot how to score, but the second half of the game was well below where the Nuggets should be on a bad day (37 second half points).
They had two fairly solid runs in the second that were both short lived. Other than those they either launched low-percentage shots or turned the ball over going to the rim. It’s tough to pinpoint when it happened, and certainly the Lakers defense stepped up their game.
But I think it all comes back to the Ty Lawson injury as the critical moment the scoring dried up
On the bright side, holding the Lakers to 95 points at home is actually a pretty good defensive performance. 36% FG shooting will lose you any game you play, but to shot that poorly and only lose by 6 to the NBA Champions is a good sign.
Did anyone see the riots anfter the game this week? What kind of fans celebrate by destroying their own city? Laker fans are a group of animals. According to AP, 38 people were arrested for “public intoxication, vandalism or inciting a riot.” Probably doesn’t help to have criminals on the team. Kobe seems to have escaped that rape charge in Colorado just fine. In any case, the pro basketball is starting to seem kinda fixed. Los Angeles Lakers always seem to get more than their share. Remember Derrick Fisher and the Spurs? Wonder if it’s because of .