New season, same result: Lakers collapse and lose to Nuggets

This has been more than a bad matchup; it has been almost a guarantee.

After being swept in the Western Conference Finals in 2023, the Lakers added size and muscle while building around an existing core to try to match the Denver Nuggets a season later.

Those changes ended up meaning so little that Denver won all four regular-season meetings and lost just once in the first-round playoff series between the teams last season. That defeat led to the Lakers making another change, this one on the sidelines, with JJ Redick replacing Darvin Ham as coach.

And entering Saturday’s first game with Denver this season, the Lakers looked like a team that had corrected some of its mistakes. They would undoubtedly be more prepared for what Denver would throw at them after that had been a concern that players expressed privately last season. They would undoubtedly be playing with confidence despite a horrendous late loss to Orlando on Thursday after a flurry of missed free throws in the final minutes.

They got a starter back, Rui Hachimura, and the Nuggets would once again be without one of their own, Aaron Gordon. And because Denver played Friday night, the Lakers would be the more energetic team with everything to prove against a foe that just dominated them.

Too much had changed for it to somehow stay the same. Right?

Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell hits Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther in the face as he grabs a rebound in the first half on Saturday.

(Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press)

But when Anthony Davis collapsed after missing a floater over Nikola Jokic in a disastrous third quarter and the Nuggets raced back up the floor, the stench of familiarity filled the Lakers’ home court.

Everyone was right to be concerned as the Lakers looked lifeless – the Nuggets were headed for one 127-102 win and the Lakers, of all teams, certainly weren’t going to be the ones to stop them.

And although the Lakers coach saw it differently, the results were the same.

“I have a pretty clear idea of ​​what happened in the third. But whatever it was, it wasn’t because we were haunted by the ghosts of the past or anything like that,” Redick said. “It was kind of obvious to me what happened there. Just not the right spirit.”

Russell Westbrook, who entered the game to boos from the Denver bench, sent the Lakers’ starters to the bench to the same noise after his three-pointer put the Nuggets up 26 with 4:23 left.

LeBron James and Davis combined to make just 13 of 36 shots, with James committing six turnovers, giving him 36 over the last six games.

James and D’Angelo Russell both declined to speak to the media after the game.

“It was just bad overall,” Davis said of the Lakers’ mistakes.

The Davis miss that left him behind came after one of Denver’s 18 turnovers — the Lakers managed to score just 18 points from those mistakes. There were critical missed opportunities, chances the Lakers (10-6) needed to capitalize on to beat a team that has their number.

Instead, they missed shots and stalled offensively, and the Nuggets made sure every Lakers mistake ended in pain. Denver scored 31 points on 15 Lakers turnovers.

Jokic was the best player on the floor as usual, scoring 34 points to go with 13 rebounds and eight assists. Davis, clearly bothered by the reigning MVP, scored just 14 on six-for-19 shooting — his worst game of the season.

“I just missed shots. I think everybody looks great,” Davis said. “It’s a miss-or-make league. I’ll definitely make more than I’ll miss. You always wish you could make every shot. I’m confident in every shot I took. These are shots that I usually do. All of us, to be honest, we just missed every shot I took tonight.”

Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 19 points, but the Nuggets made sure only one stat ended up mattering – outscoring the Lakers 70-39 in the second half.

“Obviously,” Redick said, “the spirit to compete just wasn’t there.”