The NBA regular season battle was raging, in a Western Conference showdown, the Lakers lost 126-131 to the Nuggets, the fourth straight loss.
In this game, the Lakers had several main stars absent, including James and Doncic. Still, the Lakers showed tenacity and led by three points with 56 seconds left before Jokic’s 2-and-1, Murray’s 3-pointer and Westbrook’s steal and dunk sealed the loss. Reeves had 37 points, eight rebounds and 13 assists, and Knecht added 32 points.
After this game, the Laker’s record became 40-25, ranked by the Rockets, and fell to the fifth place in the West, at present, the Lakers are behind the fourth Western Grizzlies and the third Houston Rockets a win, behind the second Western Nuggets 2 wins, only 2.5 wins ahead of the sixth Western Warriors, it is worth mentioning that the Lakers had won eight consecutive games, However, they lost to the Celtics, Nets, Bucks and Nuggets, and suffered four consecutive losses.
To make matters worse, Basketball Forever identified three major problems facing the Lakers. They say the Lakers are in a tough spot, with James continuing to be injured, the league’s third-toughest remaining schedule and the league’s most back-to-backs.
According to the latest reports, James will need to rest for at least another week or so, while the eight village base and other players are temporarily unable to play, which puts great pressure on the Lakers. Now the Western Conference is in a fierce battle for position, many teams are in good shape. The Rockets have won five straight, the Warriors have won six straight and the Timberwolves have won seven in a row. If the Lakers can’t adjust in time, they will likely continue to slide down the rankings.
