Lakers need to clean up ‘the intangibles’ entering Game 2 at Nuggets – San Bernardino Sun

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic takes a shot as Lakers star Anthony Davis defends during the third quarter of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Saturday night in Denver. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

DENVER — Taking time and space away from a game can often give you a clearer picture of what went right and what went wrong.

The mid-game emotions are further in the rearview mirror. Details that were not noticed during the game can be noticed.

But in coaching Darvin Ham, many of the things that stood out immediately after Saturday’s 114-103 Game 1 loss at Ball Arena as part of their first-round playoff series with defending champion Denver Nuggets also stood out after watching the movie when Saturday came. Sunday.

“We really didn’t do too bad in the half court,” Ham said during a Sunday afternoon conference call with reporters. “They made some tough shots, but we didn’t do too bad defensively. But our biggest problem was defending the transition, coming back and matching up so we weren’t paired together. We didn’t do that as well as we should have.”

According to Ham, the Lakers allowed the Nuggets to score 21 fastbreak points and 18 second-chance points behind Denver’s 15 offensive rebounds.

The Utah Jazz allowed a team-worst 18.4 opponent fastbreak points per game during the regular season, while the Washington Wizards allowed a team-worst 16.4 opponent fastbreak points per game.

Anthony Davis said before Saturday’s game that the Lakers couldn’t be bad at either defensive rebounding or transition defense — both areas of improvement for the Lakers against the Nuggets after being defeated 4-0 in the Western Conference finals last year and last season’s 3-0 regular season win.

But that’s exactly what happened.

“Obviously we gave up second chance points and some early turnovers on our part,” Ham said. “It’s the elusive game and that’s the game you really have to play with good teams like Denver, championship teams like Denver. The little things are important. The details and the discipline.

“It’s more of that than anything, other than the big stuff or the post coverage or the pick-and-roll coverage. It’s the intangible things. That’s what really came to light when we went back to the hotel after the game and rewatched the film.”

Ham also acknowledged that the Lakers can improve how they defend two-time MVP and reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokić.

Jokić finished with 32 points, 12 rebounds (three offensive rebounds) and seven assists in 39 minutes, and committed no turnovers.

“You’re not going to shut him up,” Ham said. ‘You just have to make it difficult for him. There are some things and opportunities where I saw where we could have been more proactive in denying catches, and maybe put a little more pressure on him, getting back to him earlier with our coverage.”

Ham added that Rui Hachimura, the main Jokić defender for most of Saturday, would have done better to switch back to Jokić in certain offensive plays in Denver.

“But he’s a tough guard because he’s not a one-way thinking superstar,” Ham said. “He thinks about all levels of the game. If he doesn’t pass a ball that hurts you, he scores. If he doesn’t score, he’s on the glass. So it is versatile.

“But you just have to keep trying to make it difficult for him. And it starts with trying to limit his touches, which is damn near impossible, but that’s what it takes when you’re trying to win.

The Lakers’ offense also floundered after a strong start.

After scoring 49 points (19-for-31 shooting on 13 assists) in the first 18 minutes, the Lakers had 54 points (20-for-48 shooting on nine assists) in the final 30 minutes.

“We have a great look that we just haven’t knocked down,” Ham said. “Shots we knocked down. And then our pace is gone. We just watched our team walk up and down, walk back to the offensive end and not (quickly) get in and out of our plays. We’re a completely different ball club when we sprint onto the floor.

“That has to be part of our defense as well: how we have to defend this team is to put more pressure on them offensively. Also try to put them on their heels. Our offense stagnated. That also contributed to them having the kind of evening that they had.”