If the Los Angeles Lakers’ first-round series against the Denver Nuggets has proven anything, it’s that Darvin Ham’s team has still not figured out how to win against the defending champions.
A 3-0 series deficit through three games marks 11 consecutive losses dating back to early 2023. Ham — who now holds a 2-12 record against the Nuggets as a head coach — is still searching for answers.
The Nuggets have simply been all over the Lakers when it matters most in this series. And it shows in the quarter-by-quarter breakdowns. Ham and the Lakers are a plus-22 in first quarters and have been dead even with the Nuggets in the second quarter. But L.A. is minus-42 in the second half in just three games, meaning Denver has consistently taken over in crunch time.
Ham was asked if the Lakers feel as though they need to play perfect to have a chance against the Nuggets and if that adds any sort of pressure.
“Yeah, I’m just thinking about the disappointment,” Ham said. “This team has been having the type of run they’ve had against our ballclub, I think there’s just a lot of disappointment. You have to do a better job of staying focused and positive throughout it all because, again, you have those disappointment moments, those what we call disappointment lags.
“That disappointment can spill over two, three, four possessions. See that someone makes a mistake and drops our heads, starts jogging back, and starts to spread. But we have to fight through all that. This is a hell of a team, and they’re the defending champs for a reason. I’ve been saying this since day one. They push you to the limit in order to try to beat them. So you got to be ready for that fight possession by possession.”
In Game 3 specifically, Ham noticed that some missed shots caused disappointment for the Lakers which let Denver right back into the game after an early first-quarter lead.
“In the second quarter, we had some good looks that just didn’t go down. They got loose, they saw some go in, and it carried over to the third quarter. … And that’s the way the game goes. It’s a make-or-miss league, and you can’t get a bucket. They’re scoring, they’re on a run. It’s tough. We have to keep the scoreboard moving.”
The Lakers head coach wouldn’t explicitly say the team was frustrated or disappointed, but they are aware of the task they have ahead.
“I mean, you just got to put guys in a position where they’re in their sweet spots, they get looks. And again, just hope they’re in a good rhythm and things go down. For a little while there, we had only made one 3, and for a long time, we only had made two. We guarded the 3-point line well. The offensive rebounds definitely played a part for them and those guys getting themselves together, getting back more balanced, giving up second and third opportunities for them to get buckets. Get good looks at the rim,” Ham added.
“But, you have to attack each possession, you have to be competitive, have competitive pride, and attack each possession. You’ll miss shots, but you got to move on to the next one. One thing about this team that we’ve been really doing very good at over the last couple of months is having the next-play mentality. Moving on to the next play, giving multiple efforts. It’s tough. It’s tough. Got to figure out a way to get one on Saturday to stay alive.”
But at this point, Ham and the Lakers know there is no more margin for error.
“Win or go home. It’s as simple as that,” he concluded. “We got to come with competitive pride. Try to get one here, stay alive. It is one game at a time. That’s all we have is the next game. And so it’s all we should be concerned with. Coming in here Saturday, have competitive pride and try to put this thing together and try to get us one.”
The Lakers would certainly love to get one win against the Nuggets before the end of the season, if nothing more than to provide some hope moving forward. But the 11-game losing streak looms large heading into a possibly season-ending Game 4.
Anthony Davis: Lakers focus is winning Game 4
With the Lakers now suffering 11 consecutive losses to the Nuggets, it would be difficult for that streak not to be at the forefront of conversation in L.A. However, Anthony Davis warned against that line of thinking and is keeping his focus squarely on the one ahead.
“No. Our focus and our mental right now is trying to get one,” Davis said. “Try to get a game and then go from there. Try to get the game Saturday in Game 4 and go from there.
“All the talk, however many straight, we can’t focus on that. Our focus is trying to get better from tonight, learn from our mistakes and try to get a win on Saturday. You can’t do anything about it, it’s in the past. Our discussions have been the transition defense and rebounding, scoring, keeping our pace and focusing on Game 4.”
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