In their final preseason tune-up, the Lakers played from behind for much of the night before falling to the Nuggets, 121-106.
Offensive shortcomings to open the game put LA behind the eight ball and forced them to dig out of a hole they never could get out of. They finished the night shooting 42.7% from the field with 14 turnovers, six of those coming in the first period.
LA did turn 14 Denver turnovers into 27 points and got 45 points of the bench, many of those coming from projected rotation players.
Ziaire Williams got off to an early strong start for LA with a layup and a team-leading four points. Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler combined for four points themselves. Denver hounded Luka Dončić, making him miss his first two shots.
At the 6:54 mark, the Lakers were down by nine.
Trevon Brazile and Jamal Murray both had six points for the Nuggets. Denver’s offense overwhelmed LA as they were on a 13-2 scoring run. Reaves and Luka answered the call, scoring seven points combined. Nikola Jokić took over, ending the half with 10 points.
At the end of the first, the purple and gold trailed by 14.
Matisse Thybulle drained a triple to start the second period. Denver answered with four straight. The Lakers had eight turnovers in this half as they couldn’t find their offensive footing while also struggling defensively.
Kessler converted on two free throws for the team.
Jake LaRavia and Williams both knocked down triples, helping shave points off Denver’s lead. Los Angeles was down by single digits. Williams continued to have a stellar showing for the Lakers with 12 points. LA was on an 8-0 scoring run to make it a four-point game.
The purple and gold did a good job making it a game again, but their defense continued to be an issue. As a result, they were down by seven at halftime.
Luka did not play in the second half, though not due to injury. Cam Johnson drained a 3-pointer to start the third period for Denver. Quentin Grimes answered with a triple of his own. Murray added four points, helping keep momentum on Denver’s side.
The Lakers called a timeout, and out of the break, Thybulle converted on a floater down the lane.
Johnson committed a Flagrant 2 foul on Reaves and was ejected. Reaves converted both free throws, then drained a three to make it a five-point deficit.
The Nuggets responded by scoring five straight. Sandro Mamukelashvili started to heat up for Los Angeles, scoring eight points, including back-to-back triples.
Quentin Grimes drained a three as the quarter wound down. At the end of the third, it was a five-point game.
Mamu connected on a 3-pointer to start the final frame for LA. Denver responded with four points. Los Angeles cut the deficit to three, but the Nuggets made it a nine-point affair. Marvin Bagley III was now up to nine points, putting in productive minutes for Denver.
At the 6:07 mark, the Lakers were down by 11.
Jaden Hardy gave himself a huge green light, draining two triples as he tried to help the team inch closer. Denver still had all the answers each time Los Angeles tried to mount a comeback.
Key Player Stats
Luka only played in the first half and finished with 15 points, four rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes. Reaves ended with 19 points, five rebounds and three assists. Kessler notched six points with six rebounds and four assists.
Williams had an impressive game with 14 points in 10 minutes after also not playing in the second half. Grimes scored 11 points. Mamu logged 15 points with eight rebounds and four assists.
Thybulle pitched in with seven points, five rebounds and two assists. Hardy had 13 points, mostly in garbage time.
The Lakers’ first game of the NBA season will be against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday at 7:00 PM PT.
You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.
