The Denver Nuggets drew first blood in the Western Conference Finals. They beat the Los Angeles Lakers 132-126 at the Ball Arena to bag the momentum in the series. Denver had control over the game for the entire first half. It carried on into the third quarter with them up by 21 at one point, but the Purple and Gold found a hole, and they exploited it generously. While LeBron James and Co. couldn’t win, they gave the home side a scare with their late-game resurgence. Watching his team, head coach Darvin Ham seems to have confidence about their chances come Thursday.

NBA fans, however, weren’t so kind to Ham for his post-game comments. They discharged a sense of doubt over his coaching abilities after his approach to Game 1.

Darvin Ham feels LeBron James and the Lakers will be ‘okay’

The Purple and Gold showed their true colors towards the end of the third quarter. One small adjustment to put Rui Hachimura on Nikola Jokic started a rally for the Lakers. They slowly began trimming the lead, and it came down to 14, heading into the final quarter. The Lakers trusted their adjustments, and Anthony Davis got to work. He scored 22 points in the second half, leading the charge for the 2020 champions.

In the final 12 minutes, the defense came alive, and the Nuggets were caught on the back foot. LeBron James and the Lakers cut it down to three points, after which their choice of plays rendered the fight back inconsequential. Yet, it was enough for Ham to absorb enough intel to be confident heading into Game 2.

“We woke up and I think we started digging in and playing a little bit, with a little more urgency. But there’s no doubt in my mind, we come out for Game 2, we’ll be ready. We’ll go back, and do what we need to do for our physically. You know, start the recovery process now, break down the film, watch what we need to watch. But thank god it’s a best-to-seven, it’s not a NCAA tournament. It’s a first to four. We’ll be okay. Trust me,” said Ham about the Lakers’ chances in this series.

All the schemes and planning at the end of the day might come down to slowing down Nikola Jokic. Tonight, the Joker did what he does best, take control early and slice through. But with Hachimura on, it became tough for the two-time MVP to operate from the post with command.

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Nonetheless, it provided for a compelling viewing as both teams shone brightly tonight. Even though the Lakers might be liking their chances ahead of Game 2, fans sure don’t.

NBA Fans grill Ham for his confidence

While there was an obvious switch in the balance, the NBA fans weren’t on board with Darvin Ham’s vision. They felt this was the Lakers’ chance to steal the series, an erupting win on the road. However, now that the opportunity is lost, there seems to be no confidence from the fanbase.

The fans also lost trust in Ham after his strange decision to go with a small ball lineup against a relatively big Denver Nuggets team.

It is about making things tough, making the Denver offense fight for every point they score. The Lakers have the defensive prowess to do so. But a lot of planning and execution to the finest needs to go down for LeBron James and Co. to take down the top seed.

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Do you think LeBron James and the Lakers can pull off an upset against the Nuggets? Let us know your views in the comments below.