There are miracles and miraclessometime too much becomes too much. The incredible streak of some Lakers who seemed mortally wounded (five victories in a row to keep alive, although by the hairs, their long-suffering 2022-23 season) ended in Denver, where the Nuggets (122-109) added without much suffering their eleventh straight victory in the heights of the Mile High. His best streak at home since twelve consecutive in 2018 and a 27-13 total that keeps them leaders in the West, in a technical tie with the Grizzliesand with only one loss more than the Celtics, the best in the East and in the NBA.
For the Lakers it is 19-22, one game away from tenth place (from play in) and one and a half of the sixth in that West in which nobody knows anything and in which positions are often gained just by spending a couple of days without playing, watching as others fall off. Now comes a stretch of five games in LA that seems transcendental for the team as the eyes are divided between the track and the offices, where Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss continue to seem closer to doing nothing, throwing away the season for good and upsetting (we’ll see). Yes too definitely) to LeBron James, who has spent the last few days doing a round of interviews that has sounded like an ultimatum, if such a thing is possible in an anesthetized franchise, frozen in its decision making. But maybe it’s already doing something if you do nothing: miss the boat of this course, We will see if he can do his part in a possible departure for LeBron in the summer. It’s hard to know what’s going on in there.
The fact is that LeBron James, after being named Player of the Week and carrying a team that is infield but unquestionably resilient, skipped the Denver game due to ankle discomfort. And Anthony Davis is still out, with a best-case return set for at least two weeks (in the best case). And neither are Austin Reaves, Lonnie Walker and Troy Brown. And this time Patrick Beverley fell on uA team that, nothing happens to say it, does not have an iota of luck either. With the rotation decimated and on the most difficult track right now surely in the entire League, much became too much. The Nuggets controlled the first half, managed the score comfortably and closed the third quarter with a 17-8 that erased doubts after some combative Lakers (again, that must be given to them) took the advantage below ten. Nikola Jokic, absolute control of the game without forcing the machine, finished with 14 points without missing a shot, 11 rebounds and 16 assists. Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown did a lot of work and Jamal Murray continues with his set-up: 34 points, 5/9 in triples, getting closer to the player he was before his serious knee injury.
In the Lakers, survival doomed to fail. After a horrible start, Russell Westbrook gave it a go (25+7+7 also with 7 losses). Thomas Bryant continues with his great level (19 points, 7 rebounds) and Kendrick Nunn goes further (this time 15 points for a player who seemed lost for the cause). 19-year-old rookie Max Christie, who may be a find, started and finished with 14 points. Outside they hang. The Lakers don’t have more, they’re in the draw and they need to keep scratching whatever and where they can to keep the season alive. Until Davis gets back, until they’re all there, until Buss and Pelinka do something… we don’t know until when, and we’ll see if we end up knowing, at least, what for...