Following a dominant 127-102 defeat at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick pointed to his team’s lack of competitive spirit as the key factor in the loss.
“Schematically, certainly we will have to review some stuff. Clearly the spirit to compete just wasn’t there,” Redick said in his postgame remarks. “We’ll solve it like solve other problems, but obviously we’ll do that internally.”
Nikola Jokic led the charge for Denver, posting a triple-double with 34 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists. The Nuggets dominated the second half, outscoring the Lakers 70-39, and improving to a 9-6 record on the season.
Michael Porter Jr. added 24 points and 11 rebounds, contributing to Denver’s explosive third quarter where they outscored Los Angeles 37-15. Denver’s 20-4 advantage in points in the paint was a key factor in the turnaround.
Russell Westbrook made an impact off the bench against his former team, tallying 14 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds. His putback dunk in the third quarter pushed Denver’s lead to 94-77, sparking the Nuggets’ decisive run.
Despite the Lakers leading 63-57 at halftime, they couldn’t sustain their play in the second half. Austin Reaves finished with a team-high 19 points, while LeBron James added 18.
However, Denver capitalized on efficient three-point shooting, finishing 16-for-32 from beyond the arc. Porter and Christian Braun combined for six of those makes, keeping the Lakers’ defense on its heels.
The Lakers’ offense struggled, with Anthony Davis finishing with 14 points on just 6-for-19 shooting. Rui Hachimura, back in the starting lineup after a five-game absence due to an ankle injury, chipped in 10 points.
The Lakers were stifled in the second half by Denver’s defense, which forced 15 turnovers and limited Los Angeles to 36.1% shooting from three-point range.
The loss marked the Lakers’ second consecutive defeat at home, dropping their record to 10-6.
