LeBron James Passes Michael Jordan in Scoring, but Lakers Fall to Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are now just one game behind the Golden State Warriors in the race for the Western Conference’s top seed following a 115-99 victory over the free-falling Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday at Staples Center.
Denver snapped a three-game losing streak, while the Lakers dropped their fourth straight and fell further out of the playoff picture after entering play 5.5 games back of the No. 8 seed.
It wasn't all bad for the Lakers, as LeBron James passed Michael Jordan (32,292 points) for fourth on the NBA's all-time scoring list with 31 points, seven rebounds and seven assists but didn't have enough help with Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma sidelined with injuries.
All five Nuggets starters scored in double figures during the win, including Will Barton (23 points, five assists and four rebounds), Nikola Jokic (12 points, 17 boards, eight assists and three steals) and Gary Harris (19 points, six rebounds and four assists).
Lakers Should Accept Reality and Shut Down LeBron for Rest of Season
If it wasn't clear the Lakers should accept reality and throw in the towel for the season coming into Wednesday's game, it was obvious after the Nuggets exploded for 43 points against a nonexistent defense in the first quarter alone.
Now that James has passed Jordan on the all-time scoring list, there is nothing for the Purple and Gold to realistically play for as they head toward the lottery. That means the smart move is to shut No. 23 down for the rest of the season with an eye on the future.
According to Tankathon, Los Angeles entered play five games away from the sixth-worst record in the league and the 37.2 percent chance of a top-four pick and 9.0 percent chance at the top pick that comes with it. That is closer than it is to a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
It is not hard to make the argument the Lakers have a better chance at landing Duke's Zion Williamson in the 2019 NBA draft than they do at lifting the Larry O'Brien Trophy, especially since the best-case scenario of a late hot streak and playoff spot could mean a matchup with the mighty Warriors anyway.
While the No. 1 pick is still a long shot, shutting down James with Ingram and Kuzma also sidelined means the team could shoot up the draft board.
That means a better trade chip it could use in Anthony Davis discussions or a better chance at landing an impact player in the draft should L.A. keep the pick.
Shutting down James would be about more than just the draft pick, though, as it is fair to worry about the wear and tear on his body at this point. He will turn 35 years old next season, is coming off eight straight trips to the NBA Finals and led the league in total minutes while playing all 82 regular-season games for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017-18.
This is his 16th season, and those campaigns are far longer and more physically grueling than the average NBA player with the minutes he plays, contact he absorbs and deep playoff runs on his resume.
James is still under contract with the Lakers until 2022 (with a player option for 2021-22). They aren't going to win anything of significance this season, meaning any further effort in the stretch run represents wasted minutes, additional injury risk and a negatively impacted draft position if he strings together some wins.
This is not the reality the Lakers were looking for when they added one of the greatest players in NBA history, but it is the one they are stuck with after failing to land Davis in February and struggling on the defensive end for extended stretches as they fell out of the playoff picture.
The 2018-19 campaign is a lost cause. It's time to turn the page to 2019-20 and rest James down the stretch.
Nuggets Must Get Home Court to Have Playoff Prayer vs. Warriors
The Nuggets dazzled for stretches against the Lakers, but they weren't exactly facing top-notch competition with Kuzma and Ingram out and a Los Angeles resistance that is 28th in the league in defensive rating in the last 15 games, per NBA.com.
The Lakers missed assignments throughout and were overmatched from a talent standpoint outside of James, but Denver still struggled to put them away and was outscored by nine in the third quarter with the King resting for part of it.
For as dominant as the Nuggets looked building an 18-point lead after a quarter, they appeared equally vulnerable as the Lakers battled back. It wasn't difficult to see how the visitors lost their previous three games and stayed behind Golden State in the West even with the defending champions stuck in a slump of their own (3-5 in last eight).
Denver had no business allowing the roster Los Angeles threw out in Wednesday's matchup to remain competitive if it wants to be taken seriously as an NBA Finals contender, but it was more of the same for a team that has struggled with consistency away from home.
The Nuggets are 27-6 at the Pepsi Center this season but entered play a pedestrian 15-15 on the road. Considering they haven't been to the playoffs since the 2012-13 campaign, they could use all the home games they can get in the postseason with those marks.
That makes the two remaining games against Golden State all the more critical with the chance to pick up ground and clinch a critical tiebreaker. The No. 1 seed is far more important for the Nuggets than a group of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green that has already proved it can flip a switch come playoff time.
Defeating the overwhelming talent the Warriors bring in a playoff series is a long shot anyway, but a .500 road team winning a Game 7 at Oracle Arena is too much to ask. The upcoming head-to-head showdowns with the champs are imperative to the Nuggets if they are going to earn the home-court advantage they need to make an NBA Finals run.
What's Next?
The Nuggets are at the Warriors on Friday, while the Lakers host the Boston Celtics on Saturday.
