LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are down 2-0 to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. The purple and gold had chances to win Games 1 and 2 in Denver, but the team didn’t make the right plays down the stretch in either game. They must figure it out fast with an NBA Finals appearance at stake.
Neither James nor Anthony Davis played particularly well in Game 2. LeBron finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists, and three turnovers in 40 minutes while shooting 9-of-19 from the field and a putrid 0-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, Davis put up 18 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, and four turnovers while shooting 4-of-15 from the floor and 1-of-3 from 3. During his postgame press conference with Lakers reporters, Davis was asked to talk about his poor Game 2 showing.
“I got the same looks (as Game 1). A lot of them were just short tonight,” Davis said. “I’ll be better. … Liked all the looks I got today. Just a lot of them were short. I’m gonna continue to shoot those shots. I gotta be better, more efficient, to help the team win. So I’ll be better.”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers & Denver Nuggets Updates
Added James: “I think we improved from Game 1 to Game 2. And if we can do the same thing from Game 2 to Game 3, we put ourselves in a position to win.”
The Lakers are undefeated at home in the 2023 playoffs. Game 3 is a must-win contest for Los Angeles since no team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 series deficit in the postseason.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers & Denver Nuggets Updates
James, 38, told reporters that he and his teammates can’t get comfortable just because they are playing at home moving forward.
“We still got to play with the same desperation as we did tonight,” James said. “We came out with an L, but doesn’t give us any more comfort. We can’t go into any postseason game with comfort just because you either haven’t lost at home or you’re going back home.
“I think it’s even more you got to be on edge because when you go home, you get in your own bed, get around your family, everybody’s being cool and jolly and everything,” James explained. “Nah, you got to be even more on edge when you go home.
“So we got to understand that going back and being down 0-2,” James explained further. “There’s no reason for us to get comfortable.”
The Lakers will look to bounce back against the Nuggets during Saturday’s Game 3 matchup.
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