The Los Angeles Lakers were blown out by the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night.
The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a tough defeat to the Orlando Magic on Sunday night. They were unable to exact their revenge on the Magic, who defeated them twice in just over a week span. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the Denver Nuggets were able to accomplish that against them.
Los Angeles defeated the Nuggets back on Oct. 25, handing the Nuggets their first loss of the season after they began the season 5-0. Tonight, Denver got their revenge.
The Nuggets destroyed the Lakers on Tuesday night, winning 117-85. Los Angeles never led in the game, as the Nuggets scored the first basket and never looked back. They tied the game a few times in the first quarter, but Denver continued extending the lead as the game went on.
Their shooting was the demise for the Lakers. They couldn’t make any shots from the 3-point line and struggled at the foul line once again. For the game, the Lakers shot 5-of-35 from distance, equaling out to a putrid 14.3 percent. At the foul line, Los Angeles shot 66.7 percent.
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Overall, the Lakers shot 39.1 percent from the field, and that just won’t cut it. The Nuggets, on the other hand, shot 48.5 percent from the field, knocking down 36 percent of their 3-point attempts and 93.3 percent of their free throws.
Three Nuggets, Paul Millsap, Jamal Murray and Malik Beasley scored 20 points. Three other players, Nikola Jokic, Juan Hernangomez and Mason Plumlee, scored in double-figures, finishing with 14, 12 and 10 points respectively. Millsap was the star of the game, finishing with 11 rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks with the 20 points in only 23 minutes.
For the Lakers, three players finished in double-figures. Kyle Kuzma led the way with 21 points, followed by 14 apiece from LeBron James and Brandon Ingram. Not a single Lakers player finished with a positive plus/minus ratio, as eight players were double-digit negative.
Off nights happen in the NBA, as no one is going to go undefeated. The biggest takeaway from this game, however, is the health of Lonzo Ball.
Ball looked to twist his ankle in the first half and went to the locker room. He was able to return after halftime but lasted less than three minutes before being subbed out for Josh Hart.
Ball insisted that he could still play, but the Lakers played it cautiously and held him out. We will find out on Thursday if Ball is indeed healthy, as the Lakers will be back on the court, hosting the Indiana Pacers at the Staples Center.