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Davon Reed of the Denver Nuggets was cheerful after playing against LeBron James on Saturday night. Reed's defensive contribution was invaluable to the Nuggets' impressive 133-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. If he hadn't guarded LeBron James the way he did, it is quite possible that the Lakers could have given Denver a lot more trouble.
In his post-game interview, Reed had the following to say after winning the battle over LeBron James:
"Everybody was happy and excited. I am glad we got the win. I have been waiting for that moment for a while. LeBron killed me my rookie year and I had to get my revenge."
Davon Reed, who played for the Phoenix Suns in his rookie season, faced LeBron twice in the 2017-18 season. King James, still with the Cleveland Cavaliers then, absolutely dominated both games to lead the Cavs to easy wins over the Suns.
In their first meeting on March 13th, 2018, James had 28 points, 11 assists and 12 rebounds, while Reed had 2 points, 1 assist and 1 rebound. In their second face-off, Reed had 0 points and 1 rebound, while James had 27 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds.
On Saturday night, James' stats weren't too disappointing as he registered 25 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks. But Reed's defense clearly had an immense impact on the Lakers' superstar. LeBron James shot 39.1% from the field after converting only 9 of his 23 field goal attempts. He also attempted eight three-pointers but landed only two of them.
Meanwhile, Davon Reed registered 11 points and four rebounds. It was the third most points he has scored in a game so far in his career. He also shot 75% from beyond the arc after making three of his four attempts from long distance.
LeBron James and the LA Lakers unable to find their groove so far
This season has been massively disappointing for LeBron James and Co. They are currently 7th in the Western Conference with a 21-22 record and will head back to Los Angeles with three consecutive defeats behind them. Their current record and apparent inability to win consistently can be attributed to their lousy defense.
The Lakers' defensive rating of 110.3 is ranked 19th in the league. In their three-game losing streak, coach Frank Vogel's team has made only 44.4% of their field goals while their opponents shoot 53.8% from the field against them.
Moreover, the kind of confusion the Lakers displayed while guarding Denver on the perimeter is an open invitation for teams loaded with shooters to take advantage of them.
The Denver Nuggets attempted 40 three-pointers and landed a whopping 23. Bones Hyland had six threes, while Jeff Green had four and Aaron Gordon made three. With the exception of James Ennis, every Denver player registered a three-pointer. The Nuggets had more threes in the first half than the Lakers had the whole game.
This definitely spells trouble for a team that boasts a formidable trio of Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook. Against a team with even better shooters like the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers defense will surely collapse like a pyramid of cards in a typhoon.
Guess the Lakers players!
