Lakers completely takeover in the 2nd half to take down the Nuggets.
The Lakers completely took over in the second half of tonight’s win against the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets had the Lakers number throughout the first half as they led at halftime by 12 points, then the Lakers completely turned things around toward the end of the 3rd quarter to finish with a 15–0 run. The Lakers never looked back and ended tonight with a 114 to 93 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers had 7 players finish in double figures tonight, all finishing with 10 or more points. 4 of the 7 players that finished in double figures were from the Lakers starting unit and 3 came from their bench.
In year 18, Lebron James is still showing why he is one of the best players in the NBA, with a stellar triple-double performance against a good Denver Nuggets team. Lebron James finished tonight with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists on 12 of 19 (63%) shooting, notching his 2nd triple-double of the season.
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel spoke to the media after tonight’s win about Lebron James:
“He continues to prove himself as the best player in the league.”
Lebron James added to his many accolades in tonight’s victory over the Nuggets. James passed hall of fame, Wilt Chamberlain, for 3rd all-time on the most field goals in the NBA history list. 4 of the top 5 players on the all-time field goal list have worn the purple and gold Lakers uniforms.
First-year Laker Dennis Schroder has been excellent all season with his constant energy and hustle. He showed his energy tonight with constant dives on the ball and great energy on the defensive side.
Dennis Schroder finished with 21 points, 4 assists and went 7 for 9 (78%) from the field in tonight’s victory. Schroder also went a perfect 5 for 5 from the free-throw line in 29 minutes.
The Lakers had another great energetic performance from their bench tonight, finishing with 41 total points. From the bench the Lakers had 3 players finish with more than 10 points.
The first player we need to praise tonight is 20-year-old Talen Horton-Tucker. He had a stellar performance as he was everywhere on the court tonight. In 22 minutes tonight, Talen Horton-Tucker finished with 17 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 block. Horton-Tucker went 8 for 12 (67%) from the field and finished with a plus/minus of 17.
Head coach Frank Vogel has increased 20-year-old Horton-Tucker minutes over the past 3 games, having played 64 minutes in the past 3 games. Vogel spoke about Talen Horton-Tucker performance with the media after tonight’s win saying:
“Every test that we’ve given him, he’s passed. He continues to play well, and has earned a bigger role.”
Montrezl Harrell and Kyle Kuzma were both spectacular tonight with their contagious energy brought off the bench. Kyle Kuzma was hustling everywhere on the defensive end, finishing with 2 blocks, 2 steals, and 11 points. Montrezl Harrell played great tonight as well, finishing with 13 points and 4 rebounds on 6 of 8 (75%) shooting from the field.
The Lakers defense as a whole played excellently as they showed why they are one of the top defensive teams in the NBA. The Lakers were able to hold a potential MVP Nikola Jokic to 13 points tonight. They threw everyone at him and were able to force him to struggle from the field, going 6 for 16 overall. The Lakers are the first team this season to hold the Denver Nuggets to under 100 points.
With tonight’s victory over the Nuggets, the Lakers now move to a record of 17–6 and move their win streak to 3 games.
The Lakers now will face the Detroit Pistons at home on Saturday. for the 2nd time in 2 weeks. The Lakers will look to get revenge on the Pistons, who beat them last week in Detroit. Look for the Lakers to come out with a lot of energy and get their comeuppance against the Detroit Pistons.