Jamal Murray blames lack of intensity, sloppy passes in Nuggets' loss to Lakers
Today at 01:31 AM
Saturday night was just not the Denver Nuggets night. Their nine-game win streak came to an abrupt halt after they suffered a 123-100 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Prior to tonight’s matchup, the Nuggets had beaten the Lakers five straight times, not counting the postseason.
According to point guard Jamal Murray, the Nuggets’ lack of intensity, as well as sloppy passing and turnovers, are what contributed to the loss.
“Bad passes, not seeing our guy, rushing it, trying to thread the needle,” Murray said while shaking his head disappointed. “For a team that is playing physical, you have got to make adjustments. Just be strong with the ball, meet the ball, catch the ball with two hands. Down the line, we just didn’t do a good job of taking care of the ball.”
Nuggets mismatched against high-intensity Lakers
Unfortunately for the Nuggets, Luka Doncic had his best game in a Lakers uniform. Doncic would have 32 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. However, stopping Doncic was only a tiny part of the problem.
For the majority of the game, the Nuggets seemed to be a step or two behind the Lakers. Whenever it seemed like the Nuggets were gaining momentum, the Lakers would start building some of their own. And according to Murray, struggling to keep up the entire game, no matter what the Nuggets tried, was very frustrating.
“It was a tough game. You are within striking distance all game, and you just can’t close the gap, and it gets frustrating,” said Murray. “But give them credit. They played really good.”
Even though the loss hurt, Murray would go on to make a point of how the Nuggets have bested the Lakers in recent years. He ensures that they’ll try to move on quickly.
“We’ve had their number for a number of years now,” said Murray. “So they get one game, and we are not going to overreact. We are just going to do what we do. Make adjustments, play more physical, and bring the intensity next time. I don’t think we had that.”
The Nuggets will look to regain their intensity when they hit the road to face the Indiana Pacers on Monday.
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