Marcus Smart emphasized collective defense as the foundation of the Lakers’ 115-107 comeback win over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night at Ball Arena.
After Los Angeles surrendered an eight-point burst in the final 50 seconds of the first half, Smart pointed to unity as the response. “We just stayed collective together. The coaching staff did a really good job of putting together a game plan for us, and we just stuck with it,” Smart said.
The veteran guard noted how quickly games can slip away in Denver. “Especially here in this place, when they go on a run like that, it can get real ugly for you,” he said, explaining why the group stayed disciplined coming out of halftime.
Smart broke down the defensive blitzes that disrupted Jamal Murray in the second half. “First off, you’ve got to communicate. Whoever is coming to help on the blitz has to let him know where the screen is coming so we don’t give up a reject,” he said.
Execution behind the initial pressure was just as critical. “In the blitz, not allowing him to reject and get out of it easily, and then making great rotations out of it. I think we did a really good job,” Smart said.
Offensively, Smart’s night flipped after a scoreless first half, as he went 4-for-5 shooting after the break and hit three key three-pointers. “Hit my first shot finally. Then got a couple free throws, seen the ball go in some more,” he said.
Trust from teammates played a role in that turnaround. “The teammates trusted me to knock down some more shots when I was open and to shoot it with confidence,” Smart said. “That was it.”
Two of those threes came in the fourth quarter, including one directly in front of the Denver bench. Smart acknowledged the moment. “You know how it is in basketball. Somebody shoots, everybody on the bench is screaming, saying it’s off,” he said.
His response was simple. “I just told them I’ve been shooting lately, so we’ll see,” Smart added.
The Lakers erased a 16-point second-half deficit by outscoring Denver 58-36 over the final 20 minutes. Luka Doncic led the rally with 38 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists, while LeBron James added 19 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists.
Los Angeles played the entire second half without Deandre Ayton due to a left eye injury but leaned on perimeter creation, defensive rebounding, and timely shot-making to close the game.
The Lakers improved to 25-16 and continue their road-heavy stretch Thursday against the Clippers, while Denver fell to 29-14 and opens a three-game road trip in Washington.
