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Anthony Davis shot the Los Angeles Lakers in the final second to take them 2-0 against the Denver Nuggets. It was a special moment for AD, just seconds after his successful launch to the 105: 103 success that eluded him. These are the highlights of the game.
Davis was writing “Kobe!” After his long distance throw hit nothing but nylon and right before his teammates attacked the hero of the day?
“Yes, I did,” AD confirmed journalists’ suspicions after the match. “We wore the mamba jerseys, and of course we didn’t want to lose in them. She made countless pitches in the playoffs and the finals. It’s a special moment for me and the team.”
Bryant, who led the Lakers in endless playoff battles, who died in January, helped design the Black Mamba jerseys, which made the moment “even more special” for Davis. Scored the last 10 points for Purple and Gold, 22 of his 31 points came in the second round (all the highlights are here).
Lakers coach Frank Vogel was also reminded of the Lakers legend by the pitch: “We want to embody what Kobe Bryant stood for. There are games where you feel it more than others. That was a pitch that Kobe did. Bryant would have found himself, at the most important moment of the season, nothing more than the net, that’s a mamba litter. “
“I want to make these pitches. We live and die with me making this decisive pitch. That’s what I came here for,” Davis said, seconds before the end of the decisive play, when Rajon Rondo found the Big Man on the perimeter and sank the shot away. . It was the first three-way buzzer for the Lakers in the Conference Finals since 2002 (Robert Horry vs. the Kings).
Anthony Davis: made for the big stage
For Davis it will be the first conference final of his career after advancing only once to the second round with the Pelicans and failing there in the 2017/18 season at 1-4 against the eventual Golden State champion. Yet in his only 23 playoff games, the brow has already proven he was cut out for the big stage.
With a value of 28.7, AD has a better player efficiency rating than Michael Jordan (28.6), George Mikan (28.5) or LeBron James (28.3). His 48.3 percent (14/29) last minute rate of shooting to equalize or lead is strong Stathead the best of all players since 1997 with at least 25 attempts.
James, who played a strong first half against Denver (20 points, 8/11 shots from the field) but then cut back and made some bad decisions (6 turnovers), later said he was “happy to have been a part of it.” and described Davis as a “special player” who would have wished: “If we had played at Staples Center, the roof probably would have been blown away. I would have loved it if he had had this moment.”
The Lakers are now just two games from the final, and the Californians were far from playing a perfect game. With as many as 16 points LA was in front early in the third quarter, but showed some negligence, especially on offense. The ball was thrown 24 times, numerous attacks ended with poor pitches with no ball movement, resulting in a three-way rate of just 30 percent (6/20) in the second half.
Lakers and Davis: “The work is not done yet”
But above all, coach Vogel wanted to praise his opponents for losing their lead: “It’s a nightmare defending this team. The problems that Jokic and Murray present are the reason they are in the Conference Finals. They stand up and they are a threat to us. ” Tragic hero Jokic paid the same tribute to Lakers stars Davis and James, saying, “They have two really good, really good, really good players.”
Support for the “really good players” came mainly from the bench: Rondo came in with nine baskets. The first five passes became successful litters. Kyle Kuzma scored 8 points, Alex Caruso 9 points and made one of the highlights of the game with his Fastbreak Dunk.
Caruso, who his teammates appreciate primarily for his defense, received special praise from LeBron for his offensive performance: “We know what he’s capable of and the commitment he shows in every game. When he also throws hits, that’s an advantage for us. We love everything about him. “
Much of the attention was on Davis, who followed 37 points in Game 1 with 31. After “definitely the greatest achievement of my career,” I was already thinking ahead: “When I left New Orleans, I wanted to fight for a championship. I know there’s a lot of pressure on me, especially in a market like LA. that I wanted to. But the work is definitely not done until we’ve won a ring. “
Lakers vs. Nuggets: Western Conference finals at a glance
| game | date | Hour | Team 1 | Team 2 | Result / transfer |
| one | September 19th | 3 o’clock | Los angeles lakers | Denver nuggets | 126: 114 |
| two | September 21st | 1:30 | Los angeles lakers | Denver nuggets | 105: 103 |
| 3 | September 23 | 3 o’clock | Denver nuggets | Los angeles lakers | DAZN |
| 4 | September 25th | 3 o’clock | Denver nuggets | Los angeles lakers | DAZN |
| 5 * | September 27th | 3 o’clock | Los angeles lakers | Denver nuggets | DAZN |
| 6 * | September 29th | tba | Denver nuggets | Los angeles lakers | DAZN |
| 7 * | October 1st | tba | Los angeles lakers | Denver nuggets | DAZN |
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