Lakers open preseason with victory over Nuggets
By Jacob Rude
Yes, it was the preseason. Yes, it was just one game. Yes, it was in limited minutes. But for one night, the Lakers got what they imagined the Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash duo would be when they first were united. The duo combined for 24 points, 10 assists, and looked like vintage versions of their younger selves, all in 20 minutes of action apiece.
The game itself came down to the wire, with a Julius Randle dunk with 8 seconds remaining sealing the deal for the Lakers, who won by the final of 98-95. Rookie Jordan Clarkson was one of six Lakers in double figures, leading the way with 14 points. Bryant added 13 points, newcomer Ed Davis had 12, Nash scored 11, and big men Jordan Hill and Julius Randle finished with 10 each.
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Hill finished the game with an under-the-radar double-double, adding 11 rebounds in just over 19 minutes of action. Jeremy Lin, who came off the bench, scored just one point but dished out an impressive 10 assists, with the final coming late in the contest on a lob to Davis.
The night started off fantastic for Lakers and Bryant fans. While the Black Mamba airballed his first shot, he quickly made up for it, burying his patented fadeaway on the next possession and getting the Lakers off on the right foot.
Bryant didn’t look like he had missed a beat, hitting fadeaways, mid-range jumpers, and even setting up teammates on multiple occasions, leading to his five assists on the night. Nash added his own impression on the contest, hitting a wide open three-pointer early on in the contest and finishing with some patented Nash wrong-footed lay-ups at the rim.
The highlights, however, came from the role players. Randle’s first basket of his NBA career came in the first quarter on a high-flying, two-handed dunk. Randle flirted with a double-double himself, finishing with 10 points and 8 rebounds himself.
Davis, though, did the most to improve his stock. The forward was the third big man off the bench behind Robert Sacre and Randle, but arguably the biggest impact. On the defensive end, Davis finished wit ha team-high four blocks, showing a defensive potential that few expected. Offensively, he was the beneficiary of many Lin passes on pick-and-rolls, finishing 6 of 7 from the field.
The bad news on the night came in the form of (what else but) injury news. Wes Johnson, who impressed on the defensive end and appeared to have improved on last season’s performance, tweaked his knee and sat out the final quarter with a strained pattelar tendon. He’ll be further diagnosed tomorrow.
The Lakers next preseason contest will be Thursday when they host the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center.