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The LA Lakers dropped Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets 101-99 on Monday, falling into an undesirable 2-0 hole. While teams have come back from 2-0 series deficits before, including LA, the odds are stacked against the 17-time NBA champions.
Per Land Of Basketball, entering this year's playoffs, 449 playoff series featured teams leading 2-0. 416 times the teams held on to win their series, marking a 92.7% success rate. Meanwhile, only 33 times the teams trailing 2-0 recovered, designating a 7.3% comeback rate.
As for the Lakers, they have come back from 2-0 deficits twice in franchise history. The first instance occurred during their 1969 Western Conference semifinal matchup against the San Francisco Warriors. After dropping the series' first two games, LA won four consecutive contests to secure a 4-2 series victory.
The Lakers were led by franchise legend Jerry West, who averaged 31.8 points per game over six outings. LA later advanced to the 1969 NBA Finals, losing 4-3 to Bill Russell's Boston Celtics.
The Lakers' second 2-0 comeback occurred during their 2004 West semifinal showdown against the San Antonio Spurs. LA once again won four straight games to pull off a 4-2 series victory, led by franchise legend Kobe Bryant's 26.3 ppg over six appearances. The Lakers ultimately made the 2004 finals, losing 4-1 to the Chauncey Billups-led Detroit Pistons.
So, LA will look to overcome a 2-0 deficit for the third time and first since 2004.
LeBron James on LA Lakers' 2-0 series deficit against Denver Nuggets
The LA Lakers saw a prime opportunity to steal a game in Denver slip away on Monday, blowing a 20-point third-quarter lead. They lost heartbreakingly, with Nuggets star point guard Jamal Murray drilling a step-back game-winning jumper at the buzzer.
After LA's late-game collapse, Lakers superstar forward LeBron James was asked about his mindset with his team trailing 2-0 heading home. The four-time NBA champion highlighted his desire to defend LA’s home court.
"Protect home," James said. "That's where my mindset goes. And obviously, the only game that matters now is Game 3 and how we can get better. How we can figure this team out. So, Game 3 is where my mindset is."
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While the Lakers will likely need back-to-back home victories to pull off a series comeback, they haven't beaten the Nuggets since Dec. 16, 2022. Since then, they have lost 10 consecutive regular-season and playoff matchups against Denver.
So, LA faces a daunting challenge entering Thursday's Game 3 clash.
Guess the Bulls players in this quiz and it's not going to be easy!
