NBA: Lakers drop to 0-4 as Nikola Jokic tows Nuggets
LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers argues a call against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on October 26, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images/AFP
The Los Angeles Lakers’ miserable start to the season continued on Wednesday as the winless NBA giants crashed to a fourth straight defeat against the Denver Nuggets.
Nikoka Jokic scored 31 points and hauled down 13 rebounds in a 110-99 win for Denver that left the Lakers rooted to the foot of the Western Conference standings at 0-4.
Bruce Brown scored 18 points, Jamal Murray scored 13 points and Jeff Green scored 10 for the Nuggets (3-2). Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also had 13 points before spraining his left ankle on a drive late in the third quarter.
LeBron James finished with 19 points and Anthony Davis 22 but it was another frustrating night for the Lakers, who reached half-time tied at 54-54 before being outscored 32-17 in a lopsided third quarter in Denver.
The Lakers played without Russell Westbrook, who was inactive due to a left hamstring injury.
The Lakers’ 0-4 start to the season matches their start to the 2015-2016 campaign, when the team would go on to post the worst season in franchise history, finishing with a 17-65 record.
It is only the fourth time in franchise history that the Lakers have started a season with an 0-4 record.
🔥 The Joker had it ALL flowing in the @nuggets win!
🃏 31 PTS (12/17 FGM) | 13 REB | 8 AST | 4 STL pic.twitter.com/x7lfvIJEHg
— NBA (@NBA) October 27, 2022
The game was tied at halftime and Los Angeles scored the first basket of the third quarter before the Nuggets took over. A quick 12-2 run put Denver ahead by eight with 7:51 left in the third. After a layup by James, the Nuggets continued to build the lead.
A jumper from Murray, two buckets by Jokic, a dunk from Gordon, a three-point play from Jeff Green and Caldwell-Pope’s driving layup made it 83-65.
The Lakers rallied in the fourth, getting within seven on a 3-pointer from James with 8:56 left, but Denver started to pull away.
Bones Hyland made a 3-pointer, Christian Braun made a free throw and a layup and Murray hit a corner 3-pointer after Jokic’s technical free throw to make it 99-84 midway through the fourth.
Green’s three-point play made it 108-90 with 2:46 left.
The Nuggets led by as many as 10 in the first half but Los Angeles made a run in the final minutes. James assisted on three straight Laker baskets, the last a rare 3-pointer from Kendrick Nunn, to cut the deficit to 52-48.
Caldwell-Pope hit two free throws, but Los Angeles made the last three baskets of the half, the last an alley-oop to Davis for a layup with 0.3 seconds left that tied it 54-54 at the break.
Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., who missed most of last season after having back surgery, sat out for lumbar management.
