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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Slow starters in the first two rounds, the Los Angeles Lakers appeared in a rush to eliminate the Denver Nuggets.
It was a forceful statement for his opponent, and perhaps for NBA MVP voters.
Anthony Davis had 37 points and 10 rebounds, LeBron James added 15 points and 12 assists hours after finishing a distant second in MVP voting, and the Lakers posted a 126-114 victory Friday night (Saturday, Manila time) in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
The seeded Lakers opened a double-digit lead in the first half that they easily expanded in the third quarter.
“It took us a quarter to figure it out,” James said. “I’m not saying we fully understood them because it’s too early in the series to say that, but we started to feel better. We just started to have a better defensive rhythm and we started to make some stops in that second quarter and we were able to build up that advantage in the halftime “.
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James acknowledged being “angry” for receiving only 16 first-place votes to winner Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 85 from a panel of sportswriters and global broadcasters covering the league, and the Nuggets may have felt the ire of that.
“He definitely turns it on and like he’s got a chip on his shoulder like he has something to prove,” Davis said.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 18 points and Dwight Howard rejoined the rotation with 13 in a powerful return to the conference finals for the Lakers, who hadn’t been in the NBA’s last four since they won their last championship in 2010.
Los Angeles lost Game 1 to Portland and Houston before winning the next four games. The Lakers quickly brushed off any rust for another long bubble break against a Denver team that has had a much tougher time.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray each scored 21 points for the Nuggets, playing in the conference finals for the first time since the Lakers defeated them in 2009.
Denver overcame deficits 3-1 against Utah and the Clippers, becoming the first team to do that twice in a postseason. The Nuggets immediately fell behind again, digging a big hole when Jokic and Murray committed three fouls each in the first half that deepened in the second half.
“We know how it’s going to be. We know we’re the youngest team. We’re just going to get over it,” Murray said of the foul discrepancy. “We are going to find a way and we are not going to go so easily.”
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The second game is on Sunday.
Davis scored 14 points in the first quarter, but the Nuggets shot nearly 64 percent, with Murray’s 3-pointer when time ran out, giving them a 38-36 lead.
Alex Caruso converted a three-point play to open the second and start the Lakers’ 17-1 streak to start the period and make it 53-39 before the Nuggets made their first field goal after more than five minutes. .
The lead stayed there for the rest of the half, as the Lakers marched to the free throw line while Jokic, Murray and Paul Millsap went to the bench with three fouls. Los Angeles fired a whopping 24 free throws in the period, more baskets than either team made in the half, and led 70-59 at halftime.
An 11-2 flurry in the third opened it wide at 92-71 and the Lakers came home.
TIPS
Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr. had 14 points and 10 rebounds. … The Nuggets fell to 7-22 against the Lakers in the postseason. … Denver’s 16 fouls in the second quarter tied the most of any team in a quarter this season. It was the first time this season that Murray and Jokic committed three fouls before halftime.
Lakers: Rajon Rondo had nine assists to give him 1,025 in the playoffs, beating Michael Jordan (1,022) for 10th place on the NBA career list. Kobe Bryant is ninth with 1,040. Howard sat down three games and played just 4 1/2 minutes in the final four minutes against the small-ball Rockets.
VOGEL VOTE
Lakers coach Frank Vogel was a bit surprised that Giannis Antetokounmpo was so far ahead of James in voting for the Most Valuable Player award, receiving 85 first-place votes to 16 for James.
“Without disrespecting Giannis, Giannis had a great season. He’s a great player, but what LeBron does for our team for me is unmatched,” Vogel said. “Carrying the threat of reaching 40 at any time, but leading the league in assists and quarterback to our defense and leading our team to as many victories as we’ve had and our success in the playoffs, for me is our MVP.
“But I understand how the voting is going and frankly our entire group and I’m sure LeBron would echo that this is focused on something bigger than any individual recognition.”
MILE HIGH MICHAELS
Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he had been in contact with Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, who told him about the passion at home.
“He’s told me it’s great to see the city come together and unite behind a nice story on the Nuggets and we still have a lot of work to do,” Malone said. “So we appreciate all the love and support at home, no doubt.”
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