Eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Final last season, the Los Angeles Lakers want to take their revenge. The trashtalking of the Colorado men during their championship title celebration visibly gave the Angelinos a boost of motivation.
Talking about a rivalry between the Lakers and the Nuggets would undoubtedly be an exaggeration. If the two franchises have faced each other several times in the Playoffs in the past, including a Conference Final recently, we cannot really say that there is a real “animus” between Denver and Los Angeles.
However, it is possible that the Purple and Gold will close the dates of the games against the Nuggets this season. Facing the NBA champion is obviously an event but it is not the only reason that motivates the LA players. Besides the elimination against these same Nuggets in the Playoffs last year, the Lakers did not really appreciate the way of room in Denver after his victory. We remember that Mike Malone received the nickname “Dad of the Lakers” from a journalist, with a little flex on his part as if to validate. He was volleyed by Darvin Ham and LeBron James in the process.
At Media Day, Anthony Davis also confirmed that the Nuggets’ celebrations lit the flame in the hearts of the Lakers. There is revenge in the air. Comments reported by the site Silver Screen And Roll.
“It’s very motivating. I mean, obviously KCP [Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, ndlr] is my guy, so you congratulate him, like ‘you got that one’. But it was just a lot of talking, and ‘the father of the Lakers’, there was so much going on and we were like ‘okay, we got it, you won’, but me and Bron were like had conversations in “we can’t wait” mode…. There is no moral victory. It’s not like ‘oh, we had a 0.3% chance of making (the Playoffs) and we went to the final in the West.’ No. We feel like we have enough to win.”
The Lakers will therefore go on a hunt to deprive the Nuggets of a back-to-back. We won’t have to wait long to see the two “rivals” face each other: a Nuggets – Lakers is on the program for the first day of the NBA! The opportunity for the Denver players to receive their champion rings and probably a new source of motivation for the Lakers who will have to attend the ceremony as simple spectators. Perhaps they will be keen to spoil the party by winning at the Ball Arena.
Source texte : Silver Screen And Roll
2023-10-03 09:17:00
#Trashtalked #Nuggets #Lakers #revenge
