The conference finals are off to a good start. He pips held on for a 132-126 victory over the lakers on Tuesday night, building a 20-point lead before moving on white-knuckled in the fourth quarter. The stars shone. Anthony Davis had 40 points and 10 rebounds. LeBron James filed a casual 12/26/9. And Nikola Jokic absolutely dominated, racking up 34 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists to lead Denver. (Jamal Murray added 31 points of his own for good measure.)
The second part was especially interesting. After the Nuggets built their lead, the Lakers came back. Los Angeles began lights-out offensively while racking up stops. In the fourth quarter, Los Angeles also found success by switching their matchup to Jokic. Anthony Davis began to pull away from Aaron Gordon, while Rui Hachimura took the starting assignment against Joker. Here are some thoughts on the in-game adjustments and what we may see in Game 2.
David Zalubowski/AP
Hay Down Nuggets
One of the big questions in this series was how Jokic and Davis would play against each other. The Joker took the first round, just narrowly. Davis was sensational offensively. It’s going to be a tough cover for Jokic, especially when the Denver big man also has helping responsibilities. However, Jokic was in complete control of the game. He was devastating in every facet of the action: posts, turnovers, outside shots, rebounds, you name it. He could score Davis one on one and at the same time punish the Lakers every time they doubled.
Jokic’s dominance required adjustment from Hachimura. It’s not so much that Rui was able to stop Joker one-on-one, but allowing Davis to help Gordon created too much traffic in the paint and made it easy for the Lakers to double up. Part of the problem was that Gordon lurked in the dunk spot on Denver’s offensive possessions. Having Gordon patrol the baseline while Jokic was in the post made it easier for Davis to stay close to the rim.
That’s a simple adjustment for Denver in Game 2. If Davis is going to guard Gordon, then AG has to be spaced to the three-point line, or has to be involved in pick-and-rolls. Although it may have seemed like the Lakers had the answer for the Nuggets’ offense, Denver will have simple fast breaks to turn to in Game 2. Still, I expect Hachimura to start, and Gordon will have to make the Lakers pay if Davis does. is guarding The counter can be simple. The execution will not be.
Denver’s flash-change strategy on defense
As good as Denver was in the first half defensively, with a defensive rating of 105.9, it was terrible in the second half, haemorrhaging a gruesome 156.5 points per 100 possessions. Part of it was a lack of concentration. The Nuggets looked complacent at times in the third quarter, seemingly happy to give up baskets because they knew they could get them back on the other side. That lack of focus got to Denver, though, especially as his bench drive started the fourth. Once the Lakers got going, the Nuggets didn’t seem prepared to fight back and stop them.
One interesting quirk: Denver changed quite often in the fourth quarter. The Nuggets are not a trade team and have rarely gone down that path with Jokic. Michael Malone wasn’t asked about it after the game, so it’s unclear if the trade was an element of surprise or a desperation play. In any case, it was not super effective.
Murray was too often on an island with James. And in other situations, he seemed unsure whether to cover himself or commit to changing. That hesitation led to a few wide stares from three, many of which Austin Reaves was happy to shoot down. I don’t think trading is the answer for Denver. The Nuggets were successful against the Suns by being tough against Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. At the very least, it’s coverage the team is much more familiar and comfortable with.
Defense has to be Denver’s biggest concern going forward. The Nuggets should assume their outside shot will cool off. Jokic won’t really have a place to hide like Davis did. And the Lakers were hitting almost everything at the rim. The Nuggets may fare better on trades in Game 2, but they offered little resistance in that style on Tuesday.
Isaiah J. Downing/USA TODAY Sports
Ultimately, what is perhaps most important is that no one overreacts to Game 1. There are a lot more adjustments to be made for both sides. After the first game in a series, it becomes natural to assume that all remaining games will be played on the same terms. Some aspects of the action will carry over, many others will not. For now, Denver will happily take the opening win despite a shaky second half. Game 2 will give us a better idea of what the real pressure points will be as this series goes on.
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