"We'll be okay" - Darvin Ham plays down concerns despite LA Lakers going down 0-1 against the Nuggets
LA Lakers head coach Darvin Ham has played down concerns about the team's chances against the Denver Nuggets after incurring a 132-126 Game 1 loss on Tuesday. The Western Conference finals contest seems like a solid battle to watch out for, despite the Nuggets dominating the Lakers for most of the game.
LA made a late-game push and nearly stole a win, trimming the Nuggets' 21-point third-quarter lead to just three points down the stretch. LeBron James had a chance to tie the game with a 3-pointer with 45 seconds left, but he missed the shot, and the Nuggets held off LA for the win.
Darvin Ham reflected on this contest and didn't seem concerned about how things played out in the first game, saying (via Lakers All Day Everyday):
"There's no doubt in my mind, we come out for Game 2, and we'll be ready. We'll go back and do what we need to do for our team physically. Start the recovery process now. Break down the film... Thank god it's a best-of-seven, not an NCAA tournament. It's the first to four. We'll be okay, trust me."
“We’ll be okay. Trust me.”
Darvin Ham after Game 1 loss 👀 https://t.co/3ibjQZsy2l
It was the first time this postseason that the LA Lakers, who have played without homecourt advantage throughout, dropped Game 1 of a series. Their inability to do that against their strongest opponent so far has raised some level of concern.
However, considering how the Lakers came back down the stretch, they are probably a couple of adjustments from possibly taking Game 2.
The LA Lakers trailed by 18 points at the half with Nikola Jokic going for 19 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists. Darvin Ham rectified some of the coverages on Jokic in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter, which limited the Serbian from impacting the game.
Ham put Rui Hachimura as the primary defender on Jokic, with Anthony Davis playing help defense. That saw the latter struggle at times, something the Lakers can continue to build on moving forward. The Nuggets had plenty of momentum and rhythm until LA made adjustments late in the third quarter.
That may not be the case in Game 2, especially against a defensively sound Lakers team, who could impose their will from the get-go and throw Denver off early on.
AUSTIN. REAVES. https://t.co/AshJU564n0
Stealing homecourt against Denver will be more important for LA Lakers than the first two rounds
Stealing homecourt advantage off their opponents paved the way for the LA Lakers to close the Grizzlies and Warriors in six games. The Lakers don't have homecourt advantage this playoffs after qualifying as the No. 7 seed, making it crucial for them to take either Game 1 or 2.
It likely won't be easy to string together three consecutive wins against the Denver team for the Lakers, considering they have homecourt advantage in Games 3 and 4, with Game 5 being in Denver.
Playing Game 7 on the road isn't something the Lakers have done in these playoffs, and that's certainly something they would want to avoid against the West's top seed.
The Denver Nuggets have been clinical playing at home, where they have a 7-0 record thus far, including Tuesday's Game 1 against the LA Lakers.