Los Angeles Lakers: Anthony Davis, LeBron, Rondo roll Denver, 5 Lessons

The Los Angeles Lakers rolled over the Denver Nuggets in Game 1.

The Los Angeles Lakers started the Western Conference Finals in dominant fashion blowing the Denver Nuggets basically into Game 2! Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Rajon Rondo took the Clippers…we mean Denver Nuggets apart taking care of business. Lake Show Life breaks down the game with the only Los Angeles Lakers post-game report featuring video analysis!

With all of the domination talk surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers for the last couple of weeks, there is still one accomplishment that this team doesn’t have this postseason. That accomplishment? Win the first game of a series.

Well, we can check that one off the bucket list, can’t we? 

After the Lakers dropped Game 1 to both Portland and Houston before waking up and properly dismissing them in the next four games, the Lake Show found themselves down two points after one quarter. After that, the Lakers showed the Nuggets why Charles Barkley started the TNT Pre- Gameshow with what has made him infamous.

https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1307123523131973633

This game is basically summed in two major runs spread over two quarters.

• The Los Angeles Lakers got the jump on the Nuggets with a 17-1 run the second quarter (Denver did not score a field goal for over 5 minutes!).
• Then ran Denver out of the gym with an 11-2 run in the third quarter. The biggest lead in the game was around 30 points (Don’t let the final score fool you. This game was over very early!).

The top-seed left in the playoffs, Los Angeles Lakers, used a dominating, physical defensive effort that surprisingly placed all of the Denver stars in foul trouble in the first half. That combined with breakneck speed while getting out on the run with Nuggets turnovers, they ran their opponents out of the gym winning Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, 126-114.

Bottom line, the stars were stars for the Lakers (More on them later!), but if the bench support is going to continue at this pace, Lakers Nation will really be sleeping good around this time next week.

The first run started with Dwight Howard being inserted for JaVale McGee and Alex Caruso wreaking havoc in the backcourt. With Frank Vogel’s flawless rotations, the Lakers increased the pace and frustrated Nikola Jokic with fouls all night long.

• The Lakers outscored Denver 34-21 in the 2nd quarter to take an 11-point lead into halftime.
• Then they outscored Denver 33-20 in the 3rd quarter to take a 103-79 lead into the 4th.

Lakers fans, if anyone says the Nuggets (Mike Malone has already got the train started!) was cheated by the referees, just walk away because they didn’t watch the game. The Lakers collected much of their 37-28 free-throw disparity by being beating people up in the paint and taking advantage of matchups which the stars did all night long.

Denver can take Saturday to rest, watch tape, look for possible adjustments and make sure they’re ready for whatever’s coming in Game 2 on Sunday. Then say a prayer. The Nuggets are unlikely to just roll over and die, but the Los Angeles Clippers aren’t coming through the door.

To the new Los Angeles Lakers fans that are checking us out for the first time, welcome to Lake Show Life Lessons. An extended post-game report with video analysis that will cover the entire conference finals.

Over the next several pages we will provide highlights of certain players and coaches. Afterward, the comment section is loaded with knowledgeable fans adding their basketball knowledge. We usually start with the stars.

Which one? Let’s get to Lesson One and find out!