Going into the Western Conference Finals, LeBron James and Anthony Davis were 26-11 as a tandem in the playoffs. Back in LA after two games in Denver, LeBron and AD together are now 26-13 — and that’s in large part because their two-man game has been outclassed by Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
Once again, there’s a lot to unpack after the Nuggets’ 108-103 win over the Lakers on Thursday, a victory that gave Denver a 2-0 series lead and put them just two wins away from the Finals. Los Angeles changed its starting lineup to include Jared Vanderbilt. Rui Hachimura continued to be the starting quarterback for the postseason. Bruce Brown is out. Tristan Thompson played for 12 seconds.
However, arguably the biggest factor in this series so far is that the Nuggets have gotten a lot better play from their two stars than the Lakers have. And nowhere was this more evident than in the fourth quarter of Game 2, when Murray scored 23 points on his own—nearly double the total of James and Davis, who scored 12 points in the final period.
When healthy, James and Davis were generally strong in the playoffs. They’ve had two upsets this postseason, with both having varying degrees of dominance along the way. In 2020, when LeBron and the AD Nuggets played in the Conference Finals at their peak, they combined 58.2 points, 16.6 rebounds and 11.6 assists per game.
Through two games in the series, Jokić and Murray averaged 62.5 points, 26.5 rebounds, and 18.0 assists. Jokić had a meager game by his standards on Thursday and still scored two hat-tricks, making 23, 17 and 12. Murray, after struggling for three quarters, turned fresh in the final 12 minutes, eventually finishing with 37 points after hitting eight of his own. His last 11 shots.
Meanwhile, James and Davis both struggled. LeBron, who appeared to have turned his pre-play powder toss into olive oil, let three attempts on the rim during the game slip away apparently from his fingertips. In the fourth, he settled on three uneven threes and hit them all. James finished with 22 points while missing all six of his shots from outside the arc. Davis converted only four of his 15 shots from the field to earn 18 points, despite being singled out by Joki for most of the night. On the other end of the earth, his inability to slow Joker down one-on-one forced the Lakers to dramatically change their defensive coverage.
Now, it’s not a blow to Davis that he can’t shut down Jokić himself. no one can. But Denver can’t beat its best players on the Lakers. And it’s especially hard on a night when Hachimura and Austin Reeves combined for 43 points. Whether it’s age, height, or fatigue, Los Angeles can’t stand ambivalence from James and Davis. The Lakers managed to survive the ups and downs of the previous series against less talented teams. This will not fly against Nuggets.
In fact, the longer these playoffs go on, the more Denver will seem to separate itself from the group. All those waiting for Jokic to come out defensively will have to keep waiting. After a shootout in Game 1, Denver won Game 2 in the mud. While the Lakers tried to target the Joker with a crash diet of Bron-AD pick and rolls, the Nuggets had a stifling 100.0 defensive efficiency with a two-time best player on the floor.
At their best, James and Davis should be top 10 talent. Everything flows from them. And when all else fails, they can level up the team themselves. We’ve seen it throughout their run in the 2020 Championship, and on and off since injuries haven’t gotten in their way. Against the Warriors, we saw Davis handle large swathes of the action defensively, while James picked his positions to control the game in the half area.
This Nuggets team is unlike any challenge the Lakers have faced, including the one it got from Denver three years ago. In the intervening period, the play of James and Davis has been overshadowed by Jamal and Joker, and their steady improvement is paying off in the series. If Los Angeles is going to come back, it has to start with the two best players that have the most impact. The Lakers traded Davis four years ago to pair two of the league’s top 10 talents. For now, it’s Jokić and Murray who have fulfilled that billing, which is bringing them closer and closer to the finals.