Since signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, Austin Reaves has struggled to find success against the Denver Nuggets.
Reaves has been a key figure in nearly all of the Lakers’ matchups with the Nuggets, but even a strong offensive performance in their most recent game wasn’t enough as Denver secured another convincing win.
The loss continues a troubling trend for Los Angeles, which has now dropped 13 of its last 14 games against Denver — a clear indication that the Nuggets have dominated this matchup. The game followed a familiar pattern, with the Lakers building an early lead only to watch it unravel in the second half due to breakdowns on both ends of the court.
Despite Denver seemingly having a mental edge in these matchups, Reaves rejected that notion, attributing the loss to the Nuggets simply outplaying them.
“Last year was last year. The year before that feels like forever ago; I can barely remember what I did yesterday. Yeah, tonight they beat the shit out of us,” Reaves admitted bluntly.
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The turning point was the third quarter, a period that left Reaves frustrated with both his performance and the team’s overall effort.
“I think we just played one of the worst quarters you could possibly play,” Reaves said. “The energy was down from the first possession in the third quarter, and they took advantage and ran away with the game.”
Reaves elaborated further on the lack of energy and emphasized why such lapses are unacceptable.
“Like I said, it just wasn’t good enough. That should never be the issue. If we compete and lose because we miss shots or due to other factors, you can live with that. But tonight, in that third quarter, [we] just didn’t play hard.”
The Lakers had entered halftime with a six-point lead, but that quickly evaporated at the start of the third quarter as Denver caught fire offensively. The momentum shift was stark, with Los Angeles being outscored 37-15 in the period. The Lakers struggled to score while the Nuggets appeared unstoppable, and the game spiraled out of reach.
Although the Lakers recently built some breathing room in the standings with a win streak, their performances against playoff-caliber teams remain a concern. Beating lesser opponents is necessary, but Los Angeles must demonstrate they can compete and win against elite teams like Denver.
