Lakers vs. Nuggets Game 2 Preview and Game Thread: Will L.A. ever overcome its demons?

At some point, the Lakers need to rewrite the script and finally create a happy ending against a Nuggets team they’ve now lost to nine straight times.

After failing to draw first blood against the Denver Nuggets in Game 1, the Lakers have another chance to steal one on the road in Game 2 on Monday.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets

When: 7 p.m. PT, Apr 22.

Where: Ball Arena

Watch: TNT, Spectrum Sportsnet

Game 1 against the Nuggets felt like watching another episode of a horror series that seems to have the same ending every single time. Just when we thought it would finally be a different result for Los Angeles this time — specifically after they went up 12 points in the first half — their demons came to hunt them again for the ninth straight time.

Saturday’s game confirmed what we all feared: the Lakers have yet to figure out a solution against their kryptonite.

Now that L.A. is back to the drawing board trying to figure out a solution they’ve spent a year searching for, the goal remains the same: Get at least one on the road before traveling back to Los Angeles. For them to do that, they need to learn from their errors in Game 1 and play near-perfect basketball on Monday. Here’s what to look out for:

How will D’Angelo Russell and the role players respond?

It’s never right to blame one player for losses, but if they’re specifically the team’s biggest X-factor, then the expectations for them are high. I wrote in my preview ahead of Game 1 that D’Lo really needs to have a big game if the Lakers want a chance to win. He scored just 13 points on 6-20 shooting from the field.

It also didn’t help that Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura combined for just 20 points on top of Taurean Prince being the only one to score from the bench. The Lakers’ role players were just not good enough in a game where Denver’s role players didn’t even play their best. But somehow the Nuggets prevailed across the board:

In a series where the opponent has the best player, a lethal co-superstar alongside him and is surrounded by better role players in every position, the Lakers’ own supporting cast just can’t have games like this. There’s only so much AD and James can do given their workload on both ends of the floor.

D’Lo himself said that he’s excited to bounce back in Game 2, and hopefully, the rest are, too, because the purple and gold will need them to respond.

Can the Lakers stop hurting themselves?

The Lakers know well enough by now that when it comes to playing Denver, they can’t afford to make mistakes like giving up a 10-0 run in the middle of the second quarter and a 13-0 run in the middle of the third. Their scoring droughts aren’t a Denver-specific problem, but one that has unfortunately been part of their identity all year. It just so happens that the Nuggets are capable of exposing it best.

That’s why I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that the purple and gold need to play a near-perfect game to win. No matter how good the Lakers’ game plan is or even if they have two of the three best players in the game, their margin for error remains thin. Allowing Denver to make one run after another has led to their meltdowns and is why we continue to see the same script again and again.

Darvin Ham’s adjustments

After Game 1, Ham admitted that the Lakers have a couple more adjustments they’re going to throw at Nikola Jokic, who had 32 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, that he didn’t want to use right off the bat. To be fair to the Lakers, they did a good job mixing coverages against Jokic in Game 1.

What needs more polishing is how Ham manages his rotations. Will we see more Gabe Vincent minutes if, say, Russell or Reaves struggle again? How will Darvin motivate the team to rebound better and give up fewer second-chance points?

Can L.A. improve their transition defense that allowed 21 points? How about points in the paint — where the Lakers normally dominate — but instead got outscored by 10?

After every loss to Denver over the past year, it seems like the Lakers are close to figuring out how to make up for it in their next battle. That’s how it felt again after Game 1’s loss, but we know by now somehow, someway, it never happens. Game 2 will be another chance to finally rewrite that script, which hopefully has a happier ending.

Let’s see if the Lakers can give themselves some hope in this series and whether or not they can avoid returning home with a 0-2 deficit.

Notes and Updates

• The Lakers received some good news on Sunday in the reported return of Christian Wood. After being out since Feb. 14, the backup center could play as soon as Game 3.
• The Lakers’ injury report is the same as the one heading into Game 1: Anthony Davis (low back soreness) and LeBron James (left ankle peroneal tendinopathy) are probable, while Jalen Hood-Schifino (lumbar disc surgery), Cam Reddish (right ankle sprain), Jarred Vanderbilt (right midfoot sprain), and Christian Wood (left knee surgery) are out as expected.
• Only Vlatko Cancar (left knee surgery) is out for the Nuggets.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani