Lakers drop to 0-4 after sloppy effort against Nuggets
With the team struggling from 3-point range again, Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis seemingly try to win it themselves in a 110-99 loss to Nikola Jokic (31 points) and Denver
Lakers forward LeBron James argues for a call during the second half of their game against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night in Denver. The Lakers lost, 110-99, to drop to 0-4. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Lakers guard Patrick Beverley, right, passes the ball as Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon defends during the first half on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic looks to drive as the Lakers’ Anthony Davis defends on Wednesday night in Denver. Jokic had 31 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists as the Nuggets won, 110-99, to drop the Lakers to 0-4. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
Lakers forward LeBron James, left, looks to pass the ball as Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon defends during the first half on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Nuggets forward Bruce Brown, front right, pulls down a rebound as Lakers forward Troy Brown Jr., left, and guard Austin Reaves defend during the first half on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham directs his team from the sideline during the first half of their game against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Lakers guard Kendrick Nunn drives past the Denver Nuggets’ Zeke Nnaji on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, left, drives to the rim past Lakers forward Troy Brown Jr. during the first half on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Lakers guard Austin Reaves gestures after making a 3-point shot during the first half of their game against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night in Denver. Reaves replaced injured Russell Westbrook in the starting lineup. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray dunks over the Lakers’ LeBron James during the first half on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
Lakers forward LeBron James looks to the bench during the first half of their game against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Lakers big man Anthony Davis gets past Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, on his way to the basket on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
Lakers forward Troy Brown Jr., left, looks to pass the ball as Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon defends during the first half on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, front, drives to the rim past Lakers guard Patrick Beverley during the first half on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Lakers forward LeBron James corrals the ball during their game against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
Lakers forward LeBron James, right, handles the ball as Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon defends during the first half on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Nuggets forward Bruce Brown picks up a loose ball during the first half of their game against the Lakers on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Lakers guard Patrick Beverley grabs a rebound over the Denver Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
Injured Lakers guard Russell Westbrook, front, jokes with referee J.T. Orr during the first half of their game against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Lakers forward LeBron James, left, looks to pass the ball as Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon defends during the first half on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Nuggets forward Jeff Green, left, dunks in front of Lakers guard Austin Reaves, center, and forward Juan Toscano-Anderson during the first half on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Lakers guard Kendrick Nunn, right, drives past Denver Nuggets guard Ish Smith during the second half on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Lakers guard Lonnie Walker IV drives past the Denver Nuggets’ Bruce Brown, left, on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
Lakers forward LeBron James, back, drives to the rim as Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun defends during the second half on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Lakers forward Troy Brown Jr., front, drives past Denver Nuggets forward Bruce Brown during the second half on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Lakers forward LeBron James drives against the Denver Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon during the second half on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
Lakers forward LeBron James argues for a call during the second half of their game against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night in Denver. The Lakers lost, 110-99, to drop to 0-4. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Lakers forward LeBron James argues a call with an official during their game against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, right, reacts after arguing for a call with referee James Williams during the second half of their game against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Lakers forward LeBron James, right, looks to drive to the rim as Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray defends during the second half on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Lakers forward LeBron James heads to the bench during the second half of their game against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Lakers center Damian Jones grabs a rebound during their game against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
Lakers forward Troy Brown Jr., right, drives past Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun during the second half on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Lakers guard Lonnie Walker IV, center, drives to the rim between Denver Nuggets forwards Aaron Gordon, front, and Bruce Brown during the second half on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Lakers big man Anthony Davis defends against Denver Nuggets center DeAndre Jordan on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
Lakers forward LeBron James, right, drives the lane as Denver Nuggets guard Davon Reed defends during the second half on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray celebrates after making a 3-point shot during their game against the Lakers on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
The Lakers’ LeBron James, left, and Patrick Beverley slap hands during their game against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
Lakers guard Lonnie Walker IV reacts on the sideline as time runs out during the second half of their loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Injured Lakers guard Russell Westbrook, left, and guard Lonnie Walker IV react as time runs out during the second half of their loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, hugs Lakers forward LeBron James before their game on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The Lakers’ LeBron James and the Denver Nuggets’ Jeff Green share a laugh before their game on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
DENVER — The Lakers can’t score. The Denver Nuggets can’t defend.
On Wednesday night, one of those trends was bound to snap.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, shots didn’t start falling in the Mile High City, as the cold patch continued in what is now an 0-4 start to their season. Few are appraising the Lakers these days as the kind of team that can hang with an expected contender in Denver (3-2) – or their reigning two-time league MVP center – but with a 110-99 defeat, the urgency to break into the winning column keeps mounting for a team that doesn’t have an apparent easy game anytime soon. Orlando and Sacramento are the only other winless teams in the league.
When asked what the first step to righting the ship is, Anthony Davis didn’t mention shooting, defense or any other facet of the game – just winning itself.
“It sucks when you’re in it right now,” he said. “But we’re not gonna be in this for too long, and once you get that first win under your belt, you kind of just get that monkey off your back.”
The Lakers’ latest loss resembled a team that has fractured trust within its ranks: Again shooting dismally from 3-point range (8 for 30), the Lakers saw their biggest stars seemingly try to win it themselves. And the star drawing the most ire of late – Russell Westbrook – wasn’t even suited up.
But in charging the lane with multiple defenders swarming them or taking contested jumpers, LeBron James (8 for 21 from the field, 19 points, nine assists) and Davis (11 for 19, 22 points) didn’t have much more fourth-quarter success than their teammates. In the final period, the Lakers got within seven points as they attacked Denver’s reserve-driven lineups, but once Nikola Jokic (31 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists) checked back in, it gradually tilted back toward the home team.
James was 3 for 10 in the final quarter; Davis was 1 for 2. And yet James said he felt he needed to take more control after the game.
“I was coming off a lot of screens, looking to pass, get guys involved and I wasn’t aggressive enough,” he said. “Those were careless turnovers on my part.”
The true back-breaker was the third quarter. The Lakers had made an impressive run to end the first half, highlighted by James’ outlet pass to Davis for a layup with just 0.3 seconds left on the clock. But the Nuggets came out of the locker room with more urgency, ripping off a 29-11 advantage to keep the Lakers chasing.
The one edge L.A. had coming into the night was its defense, ranked third in efficiency through its first three games. But even that slacked off, as too often the Lakers trotted back against Denver’s transition game (35 fast-break points) or lost shooters who found themselves on the end of Jokic’s pinpoint cross-court passes.
Besides Jokic, Bruce Brown (18), Jamal Murray (13), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (13) and Jeff Green (10) all scored in double figures. Lonnie Walker IV (15 points) was the only Laker to join James and Davis in double figures.
Part of that might have been James and Davis trying to beat the Nuggets two-on-five. While Coach Darvin Ham didn’t call out any of his players by name, he acknowledged that faith between teammates seemed to waver in the game, just at the moment the Lakers need that quality the most.
“We got to trust,” he said. “Trust is the big part of competing, staying together and holding ourselves accountable. We’ll go back and break down this tape and see what we could have done better. But at the end of the day, we can’t never waver.”
One issue that is hindering trust: shooting. The Lakers came into the game hitting just 21.2% of their 3-point attempts. The bar is so low on offense, that Pat Beverley had an upbeat assessment of their performance in Denver: “Well, I think we were shooting 20%, and today we shot 26%. So we got better.”
It was a sloppy overall effort for the Lakers, especially from James, who had eight of the team’s 14 turnovers. The Lakers have yet to shoot above 30% from 3-point range in any game, and they never led in this one. They scored 56 points in the paint, but the Nuggets still outscored them inside (60 points), rendering Denver’s cold shooting night from behind the arc (9 for 34) almost meaningless.
The biggest battle James – whose team is 0-4 for just the second time in his 20 NBA seasons – seemed to be fighting was with the officials. After one late fourth-quarter drive when he lost the ball, James lingered to argue for a call on the contact. Ham added his voice to the fray, drawing a technical foul – meanwhile on the other end, Christian Braun scored a layup for the Nuggets.
Ham said apologized to the officials for losing his cool afterward: “That was my bad.” But his biggest problem remains a team that can’t seem to get straightened out. Still, the first-year coach said he embraced the challenge.
“We need these days,” he said. “They’re not fun. We’re not content in them whatsoever. But you need them. When you have a new group together, a new group of individuals, and you’re trying to establish something, you have to go through days like these and moments like these. And we’ll be better for it.”
With upcoming games against Minnesota, Denver again and New Orleans, it’s hard to say for sure when those better days will arrive.
The Lakers are shooting 33-for-148 on 3s this season. That 22.3% 3-pt FG pct is the worst over any 4-game span by any team within a season in NBA history (min. 125 3-pt FGA). https://t.co/w3DKI9vwSj
Anthony Davis discusses tweaking his back against the Nuggets and his status for the upcoming matchup with the Timberwolves. pic.twitter.com/SWtgIWYMR1
