The Lakers have to be absolutely reeling after their brutal game 2 loss in Denver on Monday night. Los Angeles blew a 20-point second-half lead to watch Jamal Murray sink them on a buzzer-beater to win the game 101-99 for the Nuggets. With the loss, the Nuggets hold a 2-0 lead in the first-round playoff series as things head to LA for the next two games.
That makes it 10 straight losses overall for the Lakers against Denver and one of the worst parts for them is that all things considered, game 2 went extremely well for them, and pretty poorly for the Nuggets. LA got an outstanding performance out of Anthony Davis on both ends, a very energetic LeBron effort across the board, and a red-hot D’Angelo Russell.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets went through most of the game without getting scoring from Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray was shooting 3-16 through three quarters. Things couldn’t have been going much better for the Lakers and it still all came crashing down in the end. The Lakers got tight and clearly ran out of gas while the Nuggets seemed to get better and rise to the moment.
It was about as devastating as can be and this game will have Darvin Ham and company searching for answers. Well, one answer that may aid the Lakers in multiple ways is adding some depth with the return of two injured role players.
Christian Wood to return from injury
First, on Sunday word came out that forward Christian Wood is planning to return to the lineup in game 3 after missing over two months with a knee injury. Wood can provide some offense off the bench but outside of scoring and size, he won’t provide much.
Lakers F/C Christian Wood is planning to return to action in Game 3 vs. the Denver Nuggets on Thursday in LA, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. A key boost to Lakers frontcourt. Wood, out since Feb. 14 due to knee injury, has averaged 7 points and 5.1 rebounds this season. pic.twitter.com/DknRfbwpfx
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 21, 2024
Jarred Vanderbilt to return from injury
Then, on Monday it was announced that forward Jarred Vanderbilt is also planning to return for game 3. Vando has been out since the beginning of February with a foot injury. He’s more of a connective player on offense who excels on defense.
Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt, out since Feb. 1 with a right midfoot sprain, is eyeing a return to the court as early as Game 3 of L.A.'s first round series with the Denver Nuggets, a source familiar with the situation told ESPN on Monday.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 23, 2024
Neither player is some kind of revelation for the Lakers and won’t save the series. But they each provide skills that can be useful and it’s two more options for Ham to turn to. Perhaps more than anything, this will provide LA with more size and depth. One of their biggest issues seems to be how tired James and Davis are in the fourth quarter of these games. If Vando and Wood can offer LA a few extra minutes of rest for their stars, that could make a big difference.