Short-handed Lakers fall late to Nuggets
The Lakers battled throughout the game but dropped their fourth in a row on Friday. LA was without six of their top eight rotation players, with LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Gabe Vincent out.
However, they kept the game close and lost in the final moments. Let’s break down why the Lakers were able to stay in the game against a title contender.
Losing is NEVER fun… but this may be the MOST proud I’ve ever been of a Lakers team after a loss…
Nothing but FIGHT and RESILIENCE tonight.
No LeBron, no Luka, no Hayes, no DFS, no Gabe, and no Rui… yet we STILL took the Nuggets wire to wire in Denver. So damn proud. 💛💜 pic.twitter.com/J9MNzpJlwh
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) March 15, 2025
Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht carry the offense
Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht stepped up on the offensive end of the floor, leading the way for the LakeShow.
Reaves had 37 points, eight rebounds, and 13 assists, almost willing the Lakers to the win. Knecht was the second scoring option, finishing with 32 points.
Knecht has been a role over the last couple of weeks, finding his groove after the rescinded trade.
All-Out Effort
LA was short-handed in this game, but all ten players in uniform gave an all-out effort. Jarred Vanderbilt flirted with a triple-double with nine points, seven boards, and seven assists.
Shake Milton shined in his return to rotational minutes, serving as another scoring option as he had 16 points.
While the Lakers came up short in this one, they battled and almost took down Denver while missing four starters and two of their top bench players.
