The Denver Nuggets could easily run away in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals after building an 18-point halftime lead. The Los Angeles Lakers had other plans. A furious comeback in the fourth quarter brought them within three points, but the Lakers couldn’t get over the hump. Denver now leads the series 1-0, but the Lakers proved they won’t go down without a fight.
The series will be competitive, and that makes the build-up to Thursday’s Game 2 even more exciting. Here’s how you can tune in as the Lakers try to even the streak at one game.
Lakers at Nuggets – Game 2
- Date: Thursday, May 18 | Time: 8:30 pm ET
- Location: Ballpark — Denver
- TV Frequency: ESPN | Live broadcast: Fubo (try it for free)
- Live notifications: Follow up
- Contradictions: Nuggets -5.5; O/U 226.5 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Plots
Lakers: The Lakers started Game 1 small, just as Dennis Schroder combined with Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell to end the streak for the Warriors. That line was cleared, and the Lakers won with Rui Hachimura playing the end line and guarding Nikola Jokic. Will Darwin Hamm immediately go for that look in Game 2? Or will he bring Hachimura off the bench and tinker with some other method of slowing down Jokic?
Nuggets: Denver’s offense was excellent in Game 1. Its safety? Not too much. The Lakers played bully ball all night against weak Nuggets defenders. Anthony Davis scored 40 points. LeBron James had 26 through Jamal Murray’s transition. Even Hachimura was amused. The Lakers are bigger and stronger than the Nuggets in many spots, and they rely heavily on offense near the rim. So how do you fix nuggets? Can they find ways to stop the Lakers from dominating their mismatches?
Prediction
The Nuggets are now 7-0 this postseason and 41-7 overall in Denver. Yes, the Lakers closed the gap late in Game 1, but they showed some great changes in Denver’s performance. Now the Nuggets will prepare for Jokic’s Hachimura matchup, and they plan to limit what James can do offensively as a switch-hunter. Denver has been the best team in the Western Conference all season, and until someone beats them in their building, they deserve to be favored in all home games. Pick: Nuggets -5.5
