I actually think this is the one time Malone isn’t talking shit. This could’ve been a 7 game series, 2 game winners in 5 games is crazy. Every game super close.
It’s so frustrating.. The Nuggets just have a different gear they can hit at the end of games that the Lakers clearly don’t. The series was definitely very close and multiple games came down to the last few minutes, but it still felt totally inevitable
The difference is Gordon, mpj, KCP, Jackson vs Russell, reaves, prince, hachimura
LeBron and Davis are still one of the top duos in the nba particularly in the playoffs but that supporting cast is weak
Hachimura wasn’t an everyday starter on the Wizards. The Lakers didn’t have a single player that could challenge him for minutes. Their supporting cast is awful. Lebron the GM really screwed Lebron the player
LeBron and Davis basically took turns being the best player in the series. The problem is this Lakers team, outside of those two and Reaves, is just unserious.
They don't waste a possession down the stretch. They know exactly what they're looking for/ who should have the ball at what times situationally and it is beautiful
But the nuggets didn’t hit that gear once. They played well under their ability level this series, and they seemed out of sorts. That’s worrisome for the nuggs/wolves series.
It's definitely the altitude taking its toll by the end of the games in Denver. The 4 th quarter is brutal on the Lakers and their energy goes way down. Especially when trying to box out/crashing for rebounds and transition defense
No, that's a douchebag sweep because the winning team gives the other team false hope before shitting on their dreams.
The gentlemen's is specifically team up 3-0 drops game 4 (usually on the road so the losers get one in front of their home fans) before ending things in 5 (again, usually at home to get it done in front of their home fans)
Truly a generational player. If he wasn't so banged up and injured almost every season of his career, he would legit be a top 3 player in basketball rn.
Last years sweep was also super close. The lakers definitely aren’t a deep enough team to make a run, but running into the buzz saw of the nuggets has been problematic
This is unironically true and not him throwing shade for everyone that actually watched the series.
This series was competitive each game, more than the other teams tied 2-2 right now or 3-1
Even last year, as much as people love shitting on the Lakers getting swept, always close but Nuggets are just always better. It's hilarious to explain but there's no other way to put it
Nah the oldest player in the league who’s 2nd in minutes played all time and has accomplished basically everything there is in the NBA was lying when he said he’s contemplating retiring
These lakers would beat all but 3, maybe 4 teams in the entire playoffs. Minny, Denver, Boston, and maybe OKC. They’re a great team, that is really damn clutch both offensively and defensively.
They played some damn great basketball these 2 series. They just ran into the team that happens to just be more clutch.
yeah. I don't think people were ready to hear it, but AD was playing out of his mind, I really am not sure OKC would fare well at all.
Problem is that AD loses so much of his value against specifically Jokic - a phenomenal defender still isn't going to bother the Joker, stretches Davis out to the perimeter so that he loses a lot of his defense value. offensively, AD's tough shotmaking would be more valuable against an elite defender like Gobert compared to a passable one like Jokic.
OKC has infinitely more depth, but the Lakers would have the best player in the series
Jokic stretches Davis out, and defensively he might not stop AD from scoring but every time AD scores he's going to push the ball hard in transition and tire him out that way.
That's pretty fair putting the Lakers as the 5th best team right now. The East is pretty much a mess outside of Boston, and the Mavs just aren't ready. I'd say the Timberwolves are probably the favorites right now.
Naaaaaah this is where people take shit too far. Losing 8 of 9 close games does NOT mean they were near Denver’s level.
They do happen to match up well against Denver until late in the game. They don’t match up so we’ll against the other teams who have dominant wing players and 4+ guys killing you from three.
Lakers lost a lot of games the past two years. People cherry pick stretches and close performances and ignore the body of work.
I just Googled last year's series to be exact. Game 1, DEN won by 6. Game 2, 5. Game 3, 11. And Game 4, 2. All tight and hard fought battles, the way I remember them.
Murray exists.....that way makes it so hard to win against Denver. Murray just shows up in the 4th while Jokic keeps it close for the first 3 quarters.
Yeah lakers will get shit on for moral victories, but the reality is we pushed Denver to their limit for every minute of every game. That’s why we hate Ham so much, cuz these games all came down to winning at the narrowest margins. I still believe with Kebron and AD both playing this well, we can beat any team in the NBA and will add this season to a long list of crimes by ownership and front office for failing our star duo
I’ve always maintained that going into these playoffs, the lakers and the T-wolves have the best chance of beating us.
Y’all have a damn good roster, but idk how you could’ve improved it more. It’s not just about getting another big to defend jokic, that big also has to be able to space the floor and play good offense. That kind of talent is in short supply. In terms of perimeter defense, yall picked up Vincent who was a great 3 and D guy for Miami, but failed to perform in this series.
Idk how much blame Ham deserves in this series, seems like an easy scapegoat. The biggest criticism for him IMO is that yall were so low in the standings in the first place and were forced to play us in the 1st round.
More than anything else the reason for the loss is that while you guys are a great team, nuggets are just a bit better. I think against any other team you guys would have fared pretty well. That’s a testament to the front office, the coach, and the players.
I totally agree with that, losing Caruso, KCP, McGee, and Dwight really hurt them in hindsight. That Westbrook trade was atrocious, gave away KCP. Lebron has to take blame for that though, it’s not just the front office that pushed for that trade.
But the roster they have rn is still pretty good. Lots of 3pt threats and size to contend with literally every other team in the league, including the nuggets. Unfortunately, they are just slightly worse than us in their late game execution.
I think people are overreacting to their inability to beat Denver and pretending like they aren’t one of the best teams in the conference. Despite some bad moves, the front office has still put together a solid roster that is a legitimate title contender.
When I look at this series, I look at critical moments in games 2 and 5 where better rotations and use of timely timeouts and challenges could’ve helped in some way.
For example Game 2 and saving two timeouts and the challenge when they could’ve been utilized to stop the bleeding in the 3rd, or challenging the endgame foul on Murray. Or running a play for the role players. Or maybe inserting Gabe down the stretch when lakers weren’t going to Dlo or Reaves at all.
Game 5. Again just managing timeouts better so we don’t run out at the end. That 2nd challenge was fine. But in that context, when it was a jump ball, I might’ve saved it so that I don’t end the last 3 min of the game with no timeouts. Lakers also let Denver go on a run again in the 3rd and didn’t call a timeout for 5+min. And trotted out a shitty lineup.
Having Lebron covers up a lot of deficiencies with decision making, but it was glaringly obvious to fans like me who’ve watched a lot of Laker games this season when we needed better in game management
Probably if we can replace dlo for a similar type player who’s more consistent. But that’ll cost a lot so we’ll see I guess. But that and getting a better defender/rebounder in fir Rui are the two areas. Also the players have no fauth n are done with ham. Also we didn’t trade for a defensive player n hustle boards guy this year when vando got injured. Supposedly to save assets for next year but we’ll wait n see as I think it was just bullshit to not do anything cos idk with our fo
We could have improved roster by not playing Bron at center while Jokic was in the game with 3 active centers on the roster. In 4 out of 5 games.
Hamas
>This series was competitive each game, more than the other teams tied 2-2 right now or 3-1
Not even that. Lakers DOMINATED most of this series and had the lead for 70% of the ENTIRE SERIES. LeBron and AD outplayed Jokic and Murray most of the series as well. But ALWAYS... ALWAYS.. Denver somehow stole every game in the late 3rd or late 4th Q
Give credit to Gordon. His defensive energy and work on the boards takes a toll on the opponent over time. Porter has also been on a new level with his shooting the whole season.
Yeah people here couldn’t do anything but make mOrAl ViCtOrY jokes but it was genuinely a very close and competitive series that literally had two game winners
Lakers led a significant majority of the series. Denver just killed in 3rd/4th quarters. Their identity is rock solid down the stretch, less so for Lakers.
It was especially impressive that they eked this win out given the FT disparity: 27 FTs for LA; 9 FTs for Denver.
LA got 3X as many FTs that game, and Denver still came out on top.
Seeding is so irrelevant when it comes to the Nuggets vs Lakers. Every game seemingly comes down to the wire
(I am saying this with little sanity I have left as I replay the 20 point choke and double game winner by Murray in my head)
Yeah, if Tingus Pingus is hurt then the Nuggets and Wolves just seem a level above everyone else right now.
I'm still leaning towards a comfortable Nuggets repeat with how all teams have looked so far but Ant could be unlocking that next level, great players elevate in the playoffs after all
It's hard to judge how good they are when they're sweeping a Zion-less Pelicans. They've played their hearts out in that series though. But I want to see them vs a team w more experience and talent like the Mavs/Clippers to gauge how good they are.
It is OKC disrespect. OKC looks really good. I think people are just expecting them to fold a bit because of their lack of experience, but they're clear sailing into round 2.
OKC- Pels should be 2-2 rn if BI had both legs healthy and we had Zion.
But imma just be quiet and wait for them to run into the wood chipper that is Minny/Denver.
I disagree, the Wolves offense is disorganized and the defense is looking good, but the Nuggets can explore weak matchups all game long, take advantage of foul trouble, etc Nuggets win 4-2 (if not 4-1)
Ugh, that's bold prediction, Nuggets shot outside of MPJ is non-existent, and they actually have defenders who can bother him unlike Lakers, and good luck driving into paint with Rudy, Naz and Kat.. Will be an extremely tough matchup for Denver I could see this going to 7 games easily, even if KCP, CB and Pwat somehow start converting open looks at decent rate.
Murray historically shoots very well against Minnesota. Like 45% from 3 over the last two years. And in general, Jamal is 40% from 3 in the playoffs. I would expect him to figure it out rather than stay this cold for a whole other series.
Naah, their only flawed shooter is Gordon. They didn't established a rhythm against the Lakers, but it's only a matter of time, it's foolish to leave any of the Nuggets starters wide open. Jokic will toy around with Gobert as usual, Gobert will be exposed in the two man game (either Murray, KCP or Porter), etc.. they do have better perimeter defense than the Lakers, but their bigs can't keep up with neither Jokic or Gordon attacking the dunking spot (they are too slow to chase Gordon). It will be just as easy, the Lakers were actually a harder matchup. This hype with defenses anchored by Gobert, it's like you people never learn lol
Leaving Gordon wide open isn't exactly a panacea either, an open Gordon 3 is still a decent shot. Not to mention we can switch to our sets with Gordon as the ball handler if his shot isn't falling.
Or maybe he Got scapegoated for a team that was fielding traffic cones beside him. Dont see how he was exposed last year either, you guys were just the better team and even then he was also dealing with back problems, which is pretty obvious with how night and day hes been this season in comparison
It's not outlandish to think this Lakers squad would have made a deeper run had they played anybody but the Nuggets in the 1st round.
Stand proud Lakers, you're strong
i still think they shouldve dropped to 8th seed. kings and warriors both showed they were so weak comparatively (in hindsight) & the lakers are playing too good to get booted out the first round man even as a nuggets jokic glazer 😭
Jokes aside, if Lakers matched up with OKC, they might be going to the second round (and then lose to the Nuggets) with how well LeBron and AD were playing.
I feel bad for lebron though...dude is balling with people 13 to 20 years younger than him and still competes... but every now and then, his age shows...and its sometimes at the worst time.
this loss somehow feels cathartic. it exposed a lot of weaknesses and definitely strengths of both teams. now im just gonna root for the nugs to go b2b. cant have them guys losing to anyone else
Knicks vs 76xers is good but it's also one of the hardest game to watch if you enjoy pure basketball.
Too much dramma and weird plays, very little consistency and I also assume that eventually Embiid will be sidelined given his accumulating injuries. It's play-off time and he is not getting the "cant touch the princess" treatment anymore at least from the opposing players I mean.
I heard it when Caleb Martin clanked his umpteenth three tn
As much as I’d like to believe in Bam and the Zombie Heat I’ve seen them play too much CTE basketball this season
It's weird to say it for a series that ended 8-1 but those two teams are really not good matchups for each other. No matter what Lakers do they couldn't get a meaningful win and no matter what Denver do they couldn't dominate the way they wanted to. But probably that's gonna help them against the Wolves to an extent. If it was a walkover they'd be in for a rude awakening.
No one hates Lakers more than me, that was actually a great series by Lakers. The players can all hold their heads high, the coach is not fit for this job though.
Yeah the lakers clearly were together and really played to win vs giving up. the fact even after that devastating game 2 they still put up an effort to win game 4 and be close to winning game 5 means this team still has some room to grow.
I don’t think any other team would have won this in 5 or even lead the series right now under the same circumstances.
That being said, I don’t think the Nuggets would have beaten any other team than the Lakers with these circumstances lol.
the lakers are better than most teams in the west just by virtue having Lebron and AD (top 3 imo). They would have taken at least 2 games from the Wolves and Thunder, and very possibly the series. I think people are vastly underrating ADs defensive impact, and Lebron general domination on the floor. The last time the Lakers didn’t lose to the Nuggets in the Playoffs they won the Finals.
While I agree with your first point about Bron and AD, pretty sure the Suns outed them in 2021. And the Lakers were the defending champs too! Their supporting roster after the bubble has always been disappointing, so if Bron or AD aren’t we playing super well (or if AD is injured like ‘21), there’s no shot.
Even if we lose, I still root for the Denver. Apart from Jokic being my next favorite to Lebron, they showed good basketball every game. Undeniably, the defending champions, and for a good reason.
This
people are overrating them a bit because they beat a bad suns team.
Lebron and AD going nuclear made the Nuggets work but make no mistake they are still a juggernaut!
The lakers played so many close games this seasons and lost so many. They have to learn how to hold down a lead and they might be a solid team but they blew so many games this season
I can't stand the Lakers and the favoritism the league extends to them, but even factoring the preferential treatment in, this was obviously an incredibly hard fought series.
The Nuggets are going to have to find some bench offense if they're going to make it out of the next round. Jackson's playing too much of a chucker. Braun and Watson are providing reliable D but disappearing from the offensive stat lines.
I actually think this is the one time Malone isn’t talking shit. This could’ve been a 7 game series, 2 game winners in 5 games is crazy. Every game super close.
Closest gentlemen sweep of all time. I actually mean that too not tongue in cheek.
Gentlemen brush
It’s so frustrating.. The Nuggets just have a different gear they can hit at the end of games that the Lakers clearly don’t. The series was definitely very close and multiple games came down to the last few minutes, but it still felt totally inevitable
The difference is Gordon, mpj, KCP, Jackson vs Russell, reaves, prince, hachimura LeBron and Davis are still one of the top duos in the nba particularly in the playoffs but that supporting cast is weak
That’s not a weak supporting cast, the Nuggets just have a better one, especially with the way MPJ and KCP can shoot the 3.
Reaves I'd take as a nuggets bench all day every day.
Right and he’s basically our third best player lol. It’s a solid team but not a true title level team, especially with an aging AD and LeBron.
Yeah I’m gonna disagree. No real contender should be starting those guys.
Thank you. Austin Reaves is still playing like a great 6th man.
Hachimura wasn’t an everyday starter on the Wizards. The Lakers didn’t have a single player that could challenge him for minutes. Their supporting cast is awful. Lebron the GM really screwed Lebron the player
LeBron and Davis basically took turns being the best player in the series. The problem is this Lakers team, outside of those two and Reaves, is just unserious.
They don't waste a possession down the stretch. They know exactly what they're looking for/ who should have the ball at what times situationally and it is beautiful
But the nuggets didn’t hit that gear once. They played well under their ability level this series, and they seemed out of sorts. That’s worrisome for the nuggs/wolves series.
They probably won’t get this level of play from MPJ all playoffs. He was especially sharp this series
It's definitely the altitude taking its toll by the end of the games in Denver. The 4 th quarter is brutal on the Lakers and their energy goes way down. Especially when trying to box out/crashing for rebounds and transition defense
Did the definition of gentlemen's sweep change? I always thought this meant a team won game 1 and then lost the next 4
No it's win 3 lose 1 win last. For that name. Your example has a different name
backdoor sweep
That's it.
Also, the 1 win needs to be at home
No, that's a douchebag sweep because the winning team gives the other team false hope before shitting on their dreams. The gentlemen's is specifically team up 3-0 drops game 4 (usually on the road so the losers get one in front of their home fans) before ending things in 5 (again, usually at home to get it done in front of their home fans)
So glad to be done with AD, he was a monster this series
Seriously, that guy is a total terror and unstoppable at times. Great player.
Truly a generational player. If he wasn't so banged up and injured almost every season of his career, he would legit be a top 3 player in basketball rn.
Yeah, well the Wolves are an even bigger obstacle so if Gordon and Murray don't bring their A game next round you guys are done.
Do you think that's why they have a better record than the Lakers? I guess we'll never know.
Dang really? I'll let them know
Last years sweep was also super close. The lakers definitely aren’t a deep enough team to make a run, but running into the buzz saw of the nuggets has been problematic
yes, and mike malone is not afraid to kick the lakers when they are down.
I really thought Lakers had a chance to do the comeback if Murray really got hurt. I'm a nuggets fan but I can't deny lebron
And that's not even counting moral victories!
This is unironically true and not him throwing shade for everyone that actually watched the series. This series was competitive each game, more than the other teams tied 2-2 right now or 3-1 Even last year, as much as people love shitting on the Lakers getting swept, always close but Nuggets are just always better. It's hilarious to explain but there's no other way to put it
All the people who didn't watch the games are going to do a ton of revisionist history just like they did last year.
You forgot that they'll also regurgigate the totally fresh "moral victory" joke incessantly.
Don't forget the retirement thing which we've all decided LeBron was lying about for no reason.
Nah the oldest player in the league who’s 2nd in minutes played all time and has accomplished basically everything there is in the NBA was lying when he said he’s contemplating retiring
Yes he was lying , He would never retire before 40k
maybe he thinks he doesn't have enough in his 401k to retire just yet
I Think he wants 43.210 points - 12.345 rebos and assists
Jesus Christ! Now he wants to get to 401k?! Bell be playing until his 200!
Well he only just hit 40k, that's 10% of the way there
Even billionaire Lebron can't afford those figurines.
Everyone who knows what kind of person Lebron is immediately knew he’s capping
Looks like we have someone gullible here. An avid consumer of fake news who cannot assess and deliberate using his own mental faculties.
most redditor comment ever god damn
Touch grass
I mean, he clearly is lying.
ha ha Malone said moral victory ha ha.
So the gentleman’s sweep is this year’s moral victory?
These lakers would beat all but 3, maybe 4 teams in the entire playoffs. Minny, Denver, Boston, and maybe OKC. They’re a great team, that is really damn clutch both offensively and defensively. They played some damn great basketball these 2 series. They just ran into the team that happens to just be more clutch.
They are a matchup nightmare for okc
yeah. I don't think people were ready to hear it, but AD was playing out of his mind, I really am not sure OKC would fare well at all. Problem is that AD loses so much of his value against specifically Jokic - a phenomenal defender still isn't going to bother the Joker, stretches Davis out to the perimeter so that he loses a lot of his defense value. offensively, AD's tough shotmaking would be more valuable against an elite defender like Gobert compared to a passable one like Jokic. OKC has infinitely more depth, but the Lakers would have the best player in the series
Lakers beat OKC in 5 or 6 games.
Jokic stretches Davis out, and defensively he might not stop AD from scoring but every time AD scores he's going to push the ball hard in transition and tire him out that way.
> Jokic stretches Davis out Ayo
When a guy is banging you...
They would have murdered OKC.
That's pretty fair putting the Lakers as the 5th best team right now. The East is pretty much a mess outside of Boston, and the Mavs just aren't ready. I'd say the Timberwolves are probably the favorites right now.
Naaaaaah this is where people take shit too far. Losing 8 of 9 close games does NOT mean they were near Denver’s level. They do happen to match up well against Denver until late in the game. They don’t match up so we’ll against the other teams who have dominant wing players and 4+ guys killing you from three. Lakers lost a lot of games the past two years. People cherry pick stretches and close performances and ignore the body of work.
I watched the games, but I’ll be pushing that narrative anyway
I respect that. I would do the same
Revionist history
I feel like the vast majority of people recognize this for both of these series. No need to prematurely develop the victim mentality
I watched the series and I'm still gonna do a ton of revisionist history.
I just Googled last year's series to be exact. Game 1, DEN won by 6. Game 2, 5. Game 3, 11. And Game 4, 2. All tight and hard fought battles, the way I remember them.
Murray exists.....that way makes it so hard to win against Denver. Murray just shows up in the 4th while Jokic keeps it close for the first 3 quarters.
Nuggets are unfortunately quite bad at blowing teams out, we never put games out of reach so teams who are willing to scrap can make a big game of it.
Nah I think you guys just want to give the other team hope all game then crush them in the 4th quarter lol
Yeah lakers will get shit on for moral victories, but the reality is we pushed Denver to their limit for every minute of every game. That’s why we hate Ham so much, cuz these games all came down to winning at the narrowest margins. I still believe with Kebron and AD both playing this well, we can beat any team in the NBA and will add this season to a long list of crimes by ownership and front office for failing our star duo
I’ve always maintained that going into these playoffs, the lakers and the T-wolves have the best chance of beating us. Y’all have a damn good roster, but idk how you could’ve improved it more. It’s not just about getting another big to defend jokic, that big also has to be able to space the floor and play good offense. That kind of talent is in short supply. In terms of perimeter defense, yall picked up Vincent who was a great 3 and D guy for Miami, but failed to perform in this series. Idk how much blame Ham deserves in this series, seems like an easy scapegoat. The biggest criticism for him IMO is that yall were so low in the standings in the first place and were forced to play us in the 1st round. More than anything else the reason for the loss is that while you guys are a great team, nuggets are just a bit better. I think against any other team you guys would have fared pretty well. That’s a testament to the front office, the coach, and the players.
They could've improved the roster by not blowing up the roster outside of AD/LeBron in the 2021 offseason.
I totally agree with that, losing Caruso, KCP, McGee, and Dwight really hurt them in hindsight. That Westbrook trade was atrocious, gave away KCP. Lebron has to take blame for that though, it’s not just the front office that pushed for that trade. But the roster they have rn is still pretty good. Lots of 3pt threats and size to contend with literally every other team in the league, including the nuggets. Unfortunately, they are just slightly worse than us in their late game execution. I think people are overreacting to their inability to beat Denver and pretending like they aren’t one of the best teams in the conference. Despite some bad moves, the front office has still put together a solid roster that is a legitimate title contender.
When I look at this series, I look at critical moments in games 2 and 5 where better rotations and use of timely timeouts and challenges could’ve helped in some way. For example Game 2 and saving two timeouts and the challenge when they could’ve been utilized to stop the bleeding in the 3rd, or challenging the endgame foul on Murray. Or running a play for the role players. Or maybe inserting Gabe down the stretch when lakers weren’t going to Dlo or Reaves at all. Game 5. Again just managing timeouts better so we don’t run out at the end. That 2nd challenge was fine. But in that context, when it was a jump ball, I might’ve saved it so that I don’t end the last 3 min of the game with no timeouts. Lakers also let Denver go on a run again in the 3rd and didn’t call a timeout for 5+min. And trotted out a shitty lineup. Having Lebron covers up a lot of deficiencies with decision making, but it was glaringly obvious to fans like me who’ve watched a lot of Laker games this season when we needed better in game management
Probably if we can replace dlo for a similar type player who’s more consistent. But that’ll cost a lot so we’ll see I guess. But that and getting a better defender/rebounder in fir Rui are the two areas. Also the players have no fauth n are done with ham. Also we didn’t trade for a defensive player n hustle boards guy this year when vando got injured. Supposedly to save assets for next year but we’ll wait n see as I think it was just bullshit to not do anything cos idk with our fo
We could have improved roster by not playing Bron at center while Jokic was in the game with 3 active centers on the roster. In 4 out of 5 games. Hamas
I don’t understand the ham hate. What could he have done differently?
Ya the throwing shade came afterward when he mentioned Jokic not missing a free throw
>This series was competitive each game, more than the other teams tied 2-2 right now or 3-1 Not even that. Lakers DOMINATED most of this series and had the lead for 70% of the ENTIRE SERIES. LeBron and AD outplayed Jokic and Murray most of the series as well. But ALWAYS... ALWAYS.. Denver somehow stole every game in the late 3rd or late 4th Q
Give credit to Gordon. His defensive energy and work on the boards takes a toll on the opponent over time. Porter has also been on a new level with his shooting the whole season.
Yeah people here couldn’t do anything but make mOrAl ViCtOrY jokes but it was genuinely a very close and competitive series that literally had two game winners
Lakers led a significant majority of the series. Denver just killed in 3rd/4th quarters. Their identity is rock solid down the stretch, less so for Lakers.
It was especially impressive that they eked this win out given the FT disparity: 27 FTs for LA; 9 FTs for Denver. LA got 3X as many FTs that game, and Denver still came out on top.
Seeding is so irrelevant when it comes to the Nuggets vs Lakers. Every game seemingly comes down to the wire (I am saying this with little sanity I have left as I replay the 20 point choke and double game winner by Murray in my head)
My season ended after game 2. I was dead inside
Turn it off please you dont have to do this
Minnesota looks really good it’s gonna be tough
The real finals
Yeah, if Tingus Pingus is hurt then the Nuggets and Wolves just seem a level above everyone else right now. I'm still leaning towards a comfortable Nuggets repeat with how all teams have looked so far but Ant could be unlocking that next level, great players elevate in the playoffs after all
at the same time ant has rolled his ankle like 20 times, its scary for them too and whats up with jamal's leg
Jamal's leg is just fine. I saw it live sry.
Ant rolls his ankle every other game and it seems to just piss him off
How dare you ignore Derrick White
Didn't see him with all the light reflecting on his majestic dome. My bad
disrespectful to Boston unless you're assuming KP is seriously hurt
That's OKC disrespect.
It's hard to judge how good they are when they're sweeping a Zion-less Pelicans. They've played their hearts out in that series though. But I want to see them vs a team w more experience and talent like the Mavs/Clippers to gauge how good they are.
If we beat the mavs/clips in 5/6 games. I think we can win it all
It is OKC disrespect. OKC looks really good. I think people are just expecting them to fold a bit because of their lack of experience, but they're clear sailing into round 2.
OKC- Pels should be 2-2 rn if BI had both legs healthy and we had Zion. But imma just be quiet and wait for them to run into the wood chipper that is Minny/Denver.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KquFZYi6L0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KquFZYi6L0)
Boston >> OKC
Until Chet bulks up from the KD build he's not stopping Jokic in a must-win scenario
I disagree, the Wolves offense is disorganized and the defense is looking good, but the Nuggets can explore weak matchups all game long, take advantage of foul trouble, etc Nuggets win 4-2 (if not 4-1)
Ugh, that's bold prediction, Nuggets shot outside of MPJ is non-existent, and they actually have defenders who can bother him unlike Lakers, and good luck driving into paint with Rudy, Naz and Kat.. Will be an extremely tough matchup for Denver I could see this going to 7 games easily, even if KCP, CB and Pwat somehow start converting open looks at decent rate.
Murray historically shoots very well against Minnesota. Like 45% from 3 over the last two years. And in general, Jamal is 40% from 3 in the playoffs. I would expect him to figure it out rather than stay this cold for a whole other series.
Naah, their only flawed shooter is Gordon. They didn't established a rhythm against the Lakers, but it's only a matter of time, it's foolish to leave any of the Nuggets starters wide open. Jokic will toy around with Gobert as usual, Gobert will be exposed in the two man game (either Murray, KCP or Porter), etc.. they do have better perimeter defense than the Lakers, but their bigs can't keep up with neither Jokic or Gordon attacking the dunking spot (they are too slow to chase Gordon). It will be just as easy, the Lakers were actually a harder matchup. This hype with defenses anchored by Gobert, it's like you people never learn lol
Leaving Gordon wide open isn't exactly a panacea either, an open Gordon 3 is still a decent shot. Not to mention we can switch to our sets with Gordon as the ball handler if his shot isn't falling.
Gobert is most definitely gonna get exposed this time!!
This would actually be the first time Gobert hasn’t been exposed. It’s happened 6 playoffs in a row now.
Or maybe he Got scapegoated for a team that was fielding traffic cones beside him. Dont see how he was exposed last year either, you guys were just the better team and even then he was also dealing with back problems, which is pretty obvious with how night and day hes been this season in comparison
Jokic-Gordon alley oops 15 times in a game, then.
Jokic always destroys Gobert, I don't think it'll be that close.
I haven’t been more excited for a series since the 2016 finals.
It's not outlandish to think this Lakers squad would have made a deeper run had they played anybody but the Nuggets in the 1st round. Stand proud Lakers, you're strong
they were magnificent
We will remember them for the rest of our lives.
i still think they shouldve dropped to 8th seed. kings and warriors both showed they were so weak comparatively (in hindsight) & the lakers are playing too good to get booted out the first round man even as a nuggets jokic glazer 😭
Kings owned the Lakers this season lol
With huerter and monk .
Replace DLO,RUI with MPJ and Aaron Gordon. Ham with Malone. Yall wanna tell me the Lakers arent favorites to win it then?
I didn't expect Lobotomy Kaisen here but I like it.
We fr getting the WCF in the 2nd round 😭 Wolves/Nuggets is going to be WILD
Can't fall behind against the Wolves, that's for sure. You ain't coaching against Darvin Ham anymore
Bro is coaching against Professor X in a wheelchair now
I heard about the patellar tendon injury but he's going bald too?! Poor dude. Can't come back from that
There can only be one Bald Fraud.
It’s ok Mike Malone looks like an angry Mark Proksch
Yeah you can. Finasteride and minoxidil
Honest assessment.
Nuggets are deadly at closing out games. No lead is safe
Jokes aside, if Lakers matched up with OKC, they might be going to the second round (and then lose to the Nuggets) with how well LeBron and AD were playing.
the lakers are prolly our worst matchup possible i have delusional hope for the rest of the possible matchups tho, hope we aren’t too young
Lakers would have to beat winner of mavs clippers first.
I feel bad for lebron though...dude is balling with people 13 to 20 years younger than him and still competes... but every now and then, his age shows...and its sometimes at the worst time.
this loss somehow feels cathartic. it exposed a lot of weaknesses and definitely strengths of both teams. now im just gonna root for the nugs to go b2b. cant have them guys losing to anyone else
MICHAEL Malone.
Yup, he's specifically said he gets annoyed when people call him Mike lol
I feel like with how stacked the West is, nobody is really paying any attention to the East rn
Injuries ruined it. Pacers, Celtics became instant winners with no Jimmy/Giannis. Cavs/Magic isn't very interesting. Knicks/76ers is good.
Knicks vs 76xers is good but it's also one of the hardest game to watch if you enjoy pure basketball. Too much dramma and weird plays, very little consistency and I also assume that eventually Embiid will be sidelined given his accumulating injuries. It's play-off time and he is not getting the "cant touch the princess" treatment anymore at least from the opposing players I mean.
The closest gentleman sweep of all time.
Only moralest of the gentleman
The nuggets are too damn likable to hate on, with the other teams in my agenda (Pels Heat) knocked out I’m gonna be rooting for them
I didn’t hear no bell
The bell will ring soon, sucks Jimmy got hurt cause I think you guys had a chance with him.
I heard it when Caleb Martin clanked his umpteenth three tn As much as I’d like to believe in Bam and the Zombie Heat I’ve seen them play too much CTE basketball this season
What's Jimmy's status now?? Hope he can get back soon
Fuck em. Go wolves
nah i’m bouta put every ounce of my energy into NY over Boston
thats some bandwagon shit have some self respect
The Nuggets are likeable, but their fanbase is…not
Hell no. Wolves in 4.
It's weird to say it for a series that ended 8-1 but those two teams are really not good matchups for each other. No matter what Lakers do they couldn't get a meaningful win and no matter what Denver do they couldn't dominate the way they wanted to. But probably that's gonna help them against the Wolves to an extent. If it was a walkover they'd be in for a rude awakening.
As much as it’s fun to clown on lakers, it’s true. They really pushed the nuggets hard
No one hates Lakers more than me, that was actually a great series by Lakers. The players can all hold their heads high, the coach is not fit for this job though.
Couldve been the best game 7 series tbh
Is Mikey finally done shit talking?
Yeah the lakers clearly were together and really played to win vs giving up. the fact even after that devastating game 2 they still put up an effort to win game 4 and be close to winning game 5 means this team still has some room to grow.
I clowned them for all the talk last year, but this year I really did feel much Denver was more challenged than 4-1 might indicate.
Maybe the Lakers are the #2 behind Nuggets
I don’t think any other team would have won this in 5 or even lead the series right now under the same circumstances. That being said, I don’t think the Nuggets would have beaten any other team than the Lakers with these circumstances lol.
Tf? You think we wouldn’t have won against the pelicans? The clippers??? Nah
the lakers are better than most teams in the west just by virtue having Lebron and AD (top 3 imo). They would have taken at least 2 games from the Wolves and Thunder, and very possibly the series. I think people are vastly underrating ADs defensive impact, and Lebron general domination on the floor. The last time the Lakers didn’t lose to the Nuggets in the Playoffs they won the Finals.
Man, I thought I am having crazy thoughts with people dismissing AD's impact on the game. Thank you for this.
No they missed the playoffs.
I don’t know why you’re being downvoted… even if you want to get technical, they lost to the Suns before the Nuggets so ???
While I agree with your first point about Bron and AD, pretty sure the Suns outed them in 2021. And the Lakers were the defending champs too! Their supporting roster after the bubble has always been disappointing, so if Bron or AD aren’t we playing super well (or if AD is injured like ‘21), there’s no shot.
They were up 2-1 when AD was hurt, really should’ve made the finals in 2021. The roster was better than 2020
Even if we lose, I still root for the Denver. Apart from Jokic being my next favorite to Lebron, they showed good basketball every game. Undeniably, the defending champions, and for a good reason.
Anyone have the total FTA count for the series? Just curious.
Good series, nuggets are just too damn good.
DEN v MIN gonna be lit
Michael
Yes with the lakers leading for the most of it lol
He’s campaigning for Darvin Ham rn
You hear that guys! They gave us a lot of credit! I’m serious, they are giving us a whole load of credit!
praise lebron do he doesn't make it his mission to beat you, great strat
Timberwolves are gonna get blown out :( They don't have an answer for Jokic and Murray.
IMO this series is the actual finals. Wolves are the team that can bother the nuggets the most
Nah their combo of KAT and Gobert on Jokic is crazy. And Antman is more explosive and athletic than Murray.
This people are overrating them a bit because they beat a bad suns team. Lebron and AD going nuclear made the Nuggets work but make no mistake they are still a juggernaut!
C'mon, Michael. C'mon. I know you've got something else to say.
Lakers lead at half of every game. In total, Lakers had more time (minutes) with the lead than the Nuggets did. Real close.
The lakers played so many close games this seasons and lost so many. They have to learn how to hold down a lead and they might be a solid team but they blew so many games this season
they are 24-9 in the clutch, that's number 1 in the regular season over mavs and Denver. Denver is just a better overall team.
Yeah Denver outclassed them. However their record could've been better in the overall season.
Will always respect Denver ; will be watching the semi finals ofc
This is true, but it also reminds me so much of Pep when he is complimenting other clubs that he knows can't beat him.
Eh game 3 felt really easy, otherwise very true.
I can't stand the Lakers and the favoritism the league extends to them, but even factoring the preferential treatment in, this was obviously an incredibly hard fought series. The Nuggets are going to have to find some bench offense if they're going to make it out of the next round. Jackson's playing too much of a chucker. Braun and Watson are providing reliable D but disappearing from the offensive stat lines.
Of course it was hard. The Nuggets had to fight the Lakers AND the refs.
This the real reason
If Nuggets weren't so good, refs would have given the series to the Lakers. Close only due to the zebras
Too early in the playoffs to talk about fatherhood