Game Recap: Denver Nuggets Come Up Short In L.A.

Jan 31, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris (14) scores a basket past Los Angeles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. (7) during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The short-handed Denver Nuggets couldn’t get the job done on the road.

It was a good run while it lasted, but unfortunately the Denver Nuggets had their 7 game win streak in terms of games played in Los Angeles snapped.

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Jusuf Nurkic put up a very putrid performance (1 point on 0 of 7 shooting) and looked out-matched all night long by former Nugget Timofey Mozgov. In a clash of youth, the Lakers had the upper hand this go around. Overall, the Nuggets were just off in this game.

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The players who had the best box/minus was a tie between Jamal Murray and Wilson Chandler who both finished with a sub-par 9. With no Jokic, Mudiay, or Barton, the Nuggets struggled to find a rhythm. They did manage to go into half-time with the lead, but the second half was disastrous for them.

Poor shot selection did them in late in the fourth quarter when the Lakers possessed the momentum.

Without three of their main scoring weapons, the Nuggets needed someone to step up and provide an impact. Unfortunately, that did not happen as the Nuggets lost some of their mojo in this game. These are the types of games Denver has to win if they want to get into playoffs, so it is clear that consistency is still a bit of a problem.

In their defense, L.A. is a bit of a out of conference rival since the Kobe days, and even though neither team is what they used to be, they still go out and want to out-compete each other.