All Lakers Expert Predictions For Borderline Must-Win Game 2 Vs Nuggets

Can LA tie the series tonight?

Mar 2, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) is greeted by Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15). / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Tonight, the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to rebound from their good-but-not-great Game 1 effort against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday to steal a Game 2 win and homecourt advantage away from the reigning champs.

Can LA actually get the job done against a Nuggets team that, despite a lackluster shooting night from long range, somehow actually rallied back from a 12-point first half deficit against Los Angeles to an eventual 11-point victory (114-103)?

We're here to answer all your burning questions ahead what's a borderline must-win contest (per Land of Basketball, only 7.3% of the 449 playoff teams to trail 2-0 in a series have rallied back to win).

What needs to happen for Los Angeles to steal the win in Denver?

The Lakers enter tonight's bout as +7 underdogs, according to The Action Network. In Game 1, All-Stars Anthony Davis (32 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, four blocks) and LeBron James (27 points, eight assists, six rebounds) submitted pretty strong efforts offensively, though neither Davis nor Rui Hachimura could really contain Denver All-Star Nikola Jokic defensively. The Lakers were badly outrebounded by the Nuggets (49-40) and significantly outflanked in fastbreak points (21-14).

If anything, the biggest difference was the play of the Lakers' supporting cast. Point guard D'Angelo Russell regressed to his 2023 Western Conference Finals form, scoring 13 points on a paltry 6-of-20 shooting from the field (1-of-9 from deep) while chipping in three rebounds, three assists, and two steals a night. Shooting guard Austin Reaves and power Rui Hachimura couldn't offer much defensive resistance, while seeming at times to be reticent to shoot.

Only one bench player, 3-and-D wing Taurean Prince, scored at all (he had 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting).

It's up to James to involve the Lakers' bench sooner, but it also might behoove head coach Darvin Ham to elevate another 3-and-D wing, Max Christie, from being a healthy scratch in Game 1 to perhaps playing over one of reserve point guards Gabe Vincent or Spencer Dinwiddie, neither of whom attempted a shot all night.

Is there anything the Lakers can do to slow down Nikola Jokic?

Probably not. Moving the more mobile Rui Hachimura onto Jokic while leaving Davis free to roam the post is a defensive move Ham discovered in the Western Conference Finals last year, and it's about as much as you can do in man-to-man coverage to slow him down. LA's goal should be solving Jamal Murray, which is proving tough to do with Jarred Vanderbilt still sidelined. It may be worth sticking James on him for stretches and getting him out of his rhythm a bit as a passer and shooter.

Which Nuggets free agent should the Lakers try to poach this summer?

Old friend Kentavious Caldwell-Pope represents the kind of essential 3-and-D wing help the Lakers currently do not really have at the starter level. He has a $15.4 million team option in 2024-25, and though he may be able to secure a sweeter deal on the open market, one assumes he'll stick around in Denver, especially if he helps the club win its second straight title (and his third overall, thanks to his role as a starter on the Lakers' 2020 team).

More Lakers: All Lakers Expert Predictions For LA-Denver Game 1