Patrick Kelley
Los Angeles
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Nikola Jokic is allowed to bump Anthony Davis off his spot and use his forearm to do it. That’s an offensive foul. He is allowed to go over the back and hook players’ arms for rebounds. Those are fouls. Getting hit in the head is not a foul anymore after a replay review. You just changed the momentum of the game. The Lakers might as well be playing the Celtics in a Game 7 with Mendy Rudolph as a referee. Like Chick Hearn used to say, ”If there is a foul and Mel Counts is in the building, it’s on him.”
Ed Villanueva
Chino Hills
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The Lakers losing the first two games to the Denver Nuggets was devastating. But when you analyze the game, and look at how the Lakers failed to come away with a win, it was because they made the same mistake in both games. In Game 1, Lakers’ third quarter, five minutes played, no points. In Game 2, Lakers fourth quarter, five minutes played, no points. Nuggets up 2-0. Lakers’ chances, maybe win one.
Donald Peppars
Pomona
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I am not one to make excuses for the Lakers, but it was obvious that the thin air and altitude in Denver played a major role in their two losses there. In both games they were worn out by the fourth quarter after great starts. Regardless, Coach Darvin Ham has done an excellent job with this team. Installing AD on the low post and making LeBron the “point forward” has helped them to post their best years as Lakers. As a fan since the Jerry West days, I plan on sticking by the team through the “thick and thin of it.”
Mike Anderson
Sherman Oaks
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Game 2 of the Lakers vs. Denver series provides an excellent example of sports mentality. Great players (Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Tom Brady) and teams (Showtime Lakers) do not succumb to, or wilt under, pressure. They somehow maintain momentum throughout the game until its end. Good but not great players and teams are more prone to succumb to pressure by losing their focus and momentum.
Maybe it is just human nature for players and teams to shift from winning mentality to merely trying to defend a lead, thereby causing momentum to shift. The whole game is like a mystery novel that presents twists and turns, preventing the reader from knowing who done it until the final chapter. So, don’t be too hard on the Lakers for the loss in Game 2. They’re only human.
Richard Raffalow
Valley Glen
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It’s time for the Lakers to fire coach Darvin Ham. Enough is enough. Ham is not a head coach. I don’t know why he was ever hired but it’s time to right a wrong. I too can stand with my hands in my pockets and watch blindly as the team blows lead after lead. I too cannot design an offense or a defense or a rotation. His last day needs to be Saturday.
Geno Apicella
Placentia