NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
[ad_1]
Lakers forwards LeBron James, left, and Anthony Davis throw up their arms in reaction to a foul call during the second half of Game 1 on Tuesday in Denver. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers were ready to steal it.
LeBron James gave it back.
The Lakers were rolling, the Denver Nuggets were panicking, and the opener of the Western Conference finals at Ball Arena was about to be spun on its head.
Then James lost his mind, or his legs, or both.
It was a valiant effort that should have been rewarded with a stirring victory that should inspire.
It was, instead, a painful failure that could haunt.
After nearly overcoming a 21-point deficit in a comeback that had the crowd cursing and gasping, the Lakers climbed on the back of their greatest player in the final minutes of Tuesday night … and he collapsed, leading to a 132-126 defeat that digs the Lakers a hole for the first time this postseason.
The Nuggets’ series lead is only one game to none, but this throws a wrench into the Lakers’ pattern of winning the first road game in each of their previous two series.
Lakers forward LeBron James wraps a pass around Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon to teammate Anthony Davis on the fast break. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
This is new territory. This is strange territory.
Given how the Nuggets dominated for much of this opener, this is unsettling territory. Judging how it ended, and who was in the middle of that, this is downright scary territory.
With 45 seconds remaining and the Lakers having closed the gap to three, James had the ball in his hands and time on the shot clock, and he promptly jacked it up. Despite missing both of his previous three-pointers, James threw up a trey that bounced away.
Two Nikola Jokic free throws later, the Lakers were still in the game with 18 seconds left when James had the ball in his hands again. This time he just lost it, watching it get stripped by Jokic as James stood still in disgust.
James finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds, and was mostly big down the stretch but still, there were questions.
Why did he so hurriedly take that three-pointer when he could have driven to the…
[ad_2]Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/plaschke-lebron-james-fumbles-away-103039826.html?src=rss
Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2023-05-17 10:30:39
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
