NBA 2018-19: 3 Key takeaways from the Los Angeles Lakers vs Denver Nuggets matchup
The Denver Nuggets hosted the Los Angeles Lakers on the Tuesday night NBA action. The Nuggets came out with a blowout win 117-85 against the Lakers in a match that they dominated from start to finish.
The Nuggets beat the Lakers in every quarter of the match which indicates that they had the control of the match throughout. The Nuggets were superbly consistent and the Lakers were erratic which resulted in a no contest.
After the match, the Lakers have dropped to an 11-9 record having lost their last two games. The Denver Nuggets are on a four game winning streak of their own and are now sitting with a 14-7 record in the loaded Western Conference.
Lakers had an injury concern over Lonzo Ball in between the game. Ball suffered an ankle sprain late in the second quarter and is now doubtful for the home game against the Indiana Pacers. Here are the top three takeaways from the match.
#3 Lakers defensive struggles
Lakers defensive struggles are pretty known at this point of the season. Though they have improved massively on defense since the arrival of Tyson Chandler, they are nowhere close to be an elite defensive team.
The Lakers defense was thoroughly exposed by the Nuggets who ended up shooting 48.5% from the field. There were far too many easy buckets in the paint for the Denver Nuggets. Paul Millsap dominated the Lakers from inside, finishing with 20 points on 9-14 shooting from the field. Jamal Murray had his way in all the pick and roll battles. He also finished with 20 points.
The Lakers need to collectively step up on team defense if they want to mount a serious challenge in the West. They have individuals with huge defensive potential but they need to show more effort on the defensive end.