Welcome to the Basketball Hangover. We are in the conference finals!
The Lakers win their first Game 1 of these playoffs after plastering the Nuggets.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images.)
Well, that was a Game 1.
After a first quarter that was just all offense, it was pretty much all Lakers from there. And people are going to be like, “Well, of course, the Lakers won. They got all the foul calls.” They’re also the bigger team and the more aggressive team inside. The Lakers took 24 free throws in the second quarter. They lived on the line.
Then the lead went into the 20s and there was no stopping Anthony Davis, who went for 37 points and 10 boards. I don’t know what else to say but it was just domination for the Lakers. The final score doesn’t indicate how much the Lakers stomped on the Nuggets.
The good news for Denver, though, was that this is only Game 1. AND they were spanked like this by the Clippers in Game 1 as well. Hell, they were smacked around by Utah in Game 3 and everyone thought that Denver had no heart. Well, they’re in the Western Conference Finals now and I wouldn’t want to underestimate the Nuggets. The Lakers just have to step on the gas and not let go. They have the advantage in size. Now Denver has to figure them out.
Or else this is going to be quicker than their 2009 match-up.
Bullet Passes
A lot can change in 11 years. J.R. Smith was in Denver in 2009 when they went against the Lakers. Now?
Every year, there’s this heated conversation for Most Valuable Player. It’s inconsistent. Even the NBA knows this. But I don’t think there should be, uh, controversy about Giannis Antetokounmpo winning it. He had the best stats for the team with the best record. 30-14-6!
Man, if this was like… 2012, it’s pretty awesome to have LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, and Dwight Howard on the same team.
NBA Playoff Scoreboard
Game 1: #1 LAL 126 vs #3 DEN 114 (LAL leads series, 1-0)
Watch This Play
There were a lot of thunderous slams by the Lakers but this floater by Rondo over the backboard was sublime.
Rajon Rondo is a sorcerer 🧙♂️
(📺: TNT) pic.twitter.com/6Ml1TdtTLj
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 19, 2020
ECF resumes tonight! Can the Heat make it 3-0? Stay safe in the bubble, everyone.
Rey-Rey is on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
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