Malone didn’t appreciate that all the talk after Denver won Game 1 was the adjustments the Lakers made in the second half to make it close.
While the Nuggets won Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Lakers, they did so by holding on narrowly after seeing a 21-point lead evaporate into just a three-point edge in the fourth quarter. Because of that, a lot of the conversation over the last two days leading into Game 2 was about the adjustments L.A. made in the fourth quarter that were successful against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets offense and how that would carry over.
The Lakers got great minutes out of Rui Hachimura in the fourth quarter, allowing Anthony Davis to roam and serve as the person bringing the double team on Jokic, which stymied the Nuggets offense and allowed L.A. to claw back into the game. However, the talk about that adjustment became too much of the focus, particularly considering Denver was going to have a chance to develop some counters to the Lakers’ defensive scheme. In Game 2, Jokic wasn’t quite as dominant — only 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 12 assists — and early he seemed a bit too passive, but was still effective and, ultimately, once the Nuggets started making shots they pulled in front in the fourth quarter.
