The Los Angeles Lakers found themselves grappling for solutions against Nikola Jokić in a disheartening 124-114 defeat to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night. The dominant presence of the Nuggets’ superstar center was evident as he amassed an impressive stat line of 35 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists.
Following the game, head coach Darvin Ham candidly shared with reporters the team’s strategy against the formidable force that is Jokić.
He expressed the necessity to throw everything they had at him and simply hope for the best outcome. “You just have to fight as hard as you can for as long as you can and hope he misses,” Ham remarked, emphasizing the need to persistently challenge Jokić despite the daunting task.
Jokic fades off one foot to beat the shot clock 😱
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Unfortunately for the Lakers, their recent encounters with Jokić and the Nuggets have yielded no positive results. They have now suffered eight consecutive losses to the Nuggets, including a clean sweep in last year’s Western Conference Finals. Jokić’s dominance persists this season, with an average of 29.3 points per game against the Lakers.
The Lakers’ struggle to contain Jokić is not isolated; it extends to their inability to contain the surrounding talent that complements his game.
Jamal Murray’s explosive performance in the second half of Saturday’s game, where he scored 17 of his 24 points along with 11 assists, exemplified this challenge. Michael Porter Jr.’s 25-point contribution, Aaron Gordon’s all-around impact, and the bench’s significant scoring further compounded the Lakers’ woes.
Jokic finds Aaron Gordon with a dime to push the Nuggets lead in the 4Q!
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LeBron James acknowledged the formidable nature of Jokić’s play, conceding that there currently exists no effective solution to contain him. The Lakers find themselves in a precarious position, standing in 10th place in the Western Conference with a 33-29 record.
Should they advance to the postseason, they would undoubtedly prefer to avoid a matchup against the Nuggets, given their evident struggle to counter both Jokić and his supporting cast.
