Lakers Move to 3-0 Against Nuggets
It was a game so strange, I had to watch it twice to assess just what happened.
-Carmelo Anthony was unrecognizable, both because of his short hair (he got rid of the cornrows) and his poor play up until the 4th quarter. He looked hesitant even when the lane was open, and missed mid-range shots he normally nails down. Give him pass on his first game jitters after coming back from the DUI suspension.
-Andrew Bynum altered many shots in the first and 4th quarter. His quick foul trouble had him sit most of the 3rd and part of the 2nd. It was almost as if he was presenting a gallery on how important he was following his $14.5 million a year extension by showing the defense with and without him.
- Jordan Farmar could not for the life of him shoot the ball. This was highly disturbing to me after watching every preseason game where he looked automatic from long range. He was a painful 1-8 this game.
- After Chris “The Birdman” Anderson held a block party with three swats in the 2nd quarter, Pau Gasol of all people put an end to it by a dunk in his face.
- JR Smith reminded everyone why George Karl doesn’t play him more often, going 4-13 from the field, including 1-6 from three-point range.
- 6-2 Nugget defensive specialist Anthony Carter had 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. What is going on here?
- Kobe Bryant dominated the offense in the 3rd and 4th quarters, as the Nuggets usually gave him single coverage. He finished with 33, and the boos in Colorado that are now only a small portion of the crowd were drowned out by Laker fans cheering.
If there is one thing to take away from this game, it’s that despite being a strange, strange game that would have easily been loseable on the road, the Lakers found a way to win. Undefeated and counting.
