Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman broke down Saturday’s 127-125 overtime defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers, focusing on execution and key moments. “We were expecting to miss it. That’s why Spence came in. He’s our best free throw third rebounder,” Adelman said, referencing Austin Reaves’ critical late free throw sequence.
Adelman acknowledged the difficulty of containing Reaves’ put-back floater. “Jamal thought Marcus Smart was going to crash and he held, which gave Reaves an angle and obviously Ayton screened it in… that’s one in a hundred in the NBA. You give them credit,” he explained.
The Nuggets coach also reflected on defensive adjustments in overtime after Jamal Murray fouled out. “Aaron became the dominant ball handler… he was awesome tonight, 27 points on 16 shots, five threes,” Adelman said, noting that Aaron Gordon shifted into a facilitator role to support Nikola Jokic.
On guarding Luka Doncic and LeBron James, Adelman emphasized communication and rotations. “Once he [Luka] gets a step on Spence, it’s over… this was Luka getting to his spot that can’t happen,” he said, stressing the importance of switching and sending the ball back to the proper teammate.
Adelman credited the team’s second-half effort despite the loss. “The way we started the game was not good enough… effort in the second half was incredible, had a million guys step up,” he said. He added that Denver had multiple chances late in regulation and overtime. “We missed some shots down the stretch… really good ball movement threes,” he noted.
Jamal Murray’s struggles were addressed directly. “There was discomfort in his arm… some of the looks he had tonight are shots he makes in his sleep. I’ll live with Jamal shooting those shots every night,” Adelman said, expressing confidence in his star guard’s recovery.
The Nuggets coach also reflected on team strategy against high-level offensive threats. “Marcus Smart is the reason why they won the game… late in the game we started to full rotate to him and try to slice the corner as best we could,” Adelman said, highlighting the challenges of defending multiple elite scorers without overcommitting.
Saturday’s loss saw Luka Doncic record a triple-double with 30 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds, while Reaves tallied 32 points for the Lakers. Nikola Jokic posted 24 points, 16 rebounds, and 14 assists, and Aaron Gordon led Denver with 27 points. Los Angeles extended its five-game winning streak to improve to 42-25, while Denver fell to 41-27.
