Nuggets vs. Lakers: Keys to Game 2 of Western Conference Finals

Mar 30, 2023

The first chapter of the 2023 Western Conference Finals certainly didn't lack for thrills. But it did lack defense.

The Nuggets escaped Game 1 with a riveting 132-126 win over the Lakers on Tuesday. Still unbeaten at home in these playoffs, Denver has an opportunity to move the series to Los Angeles with a 2-0 lead Thursday (6:30 p.m. MT, ESPN) at Ball Arena.

Here are three keys to Game 2 victory:

1. Rescue Jamal Murray from LeBron Island: The Lakers must have watched the film of Aaron Gordon guarding Karl-Anthony Towns and Kevin Durant in the first two rounds, because they wanted none of that. Los Angeles designed actions throughout Game 1 to isolate LeBron James against Jamal Murray, and it became one of their most effective forms of offense. James shot 5 for 5 when he drove against Murray. Three times in the first quarter, the Lakers got Murray switched onto James. The all-time scoring leader could back down Murray and put his shoulder into the Nuggets point guard with ease. The Lakers cleared out for James in the fourth quarter, and he earned a bucket and a foul against Murray that helped fuel the L.A. comeback. Another time, the Lakers got Gordon switched off LeBron and had the Murray matchup set, but James used a ball screen to drive and score against Michael Porter Jr. Regardless, when Gordon was gone, James rolled — making the decision even more baffling when, down 129-126 in the final minute, the King pulled up and missed a contested 3-pointer over Murray instead of driving.

2. Will Lakers pivot from small-ball starting lineup?: The Nuggets took thorough advantage of Darvin Ham's three-guard lineup in the first quarter Tuesday, overwhelming Los Angeles with length. Michael Porter Jr. had a strong start with Austin Reaves defending him. Rebounding was dramatically skewed, 19-3, in Denver's favor early. Rui Hachimura played more with James and Anthony Davis in the second half. The glass and the game leveled. Will Ham consider a tweak to his starting lineup, trying Hachimura instead of Reaves, Dennis Schroder or D’Angelo Russell in Game 2? "My first inclination: it's not even a size factor," Ham said. "It's a mobility factor. Meaning, bodies — we had guys, multiple bodies just standing around. … Too many possessions where we had bodies in the vicinity of the rebound but just never put a body on their body." Hachimura was struck by Denver's length compared to Golden State's. Russell was contained to eight points on 4-of-11 shooting and a minus-25 on the floor.

3. DHO delight: Nikola Jokic had four dribble hand-off assists in Game 1, three of which went to Murray in the first half. Schroder and Reaves got stuck behind Denver's DHOs and other pin-down screens, helping free up Murray for his 31-point night. Offense literally revolving around Jokic is nothing new, but even the best defensive team of these playoffs struggled to handle the hand-off element. In a game when the Nuggets relied on running in transition to score in bunches, that was one of their best sources of half-court offense. Jokic also assisted eight of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's nine made baskets, an important chemistry to watch as the series develops.

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