team officially have your number? Well, with regards to the Lakers and Nuggets, now it’s nine — as in, nine straight wins for Denver.
Whether in the high altitude of the Rocky Mountains or at sea level in L.A., the final result has been the same since December 2022.
And what makes the latest so depressing for the Lakers (and reassuring for the defending champs) is the Lakers still haven’t found the formula.
Well, after a 114-103 win in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series, the Nuggets are once again in position to sweep, as they did last summer in the West finals.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone mentioned a “comfort level” the Nuggets have with the Lakers. OK, then.
The NBA fashion runway known as the tunnel leading to the locker room was a point of focus before Game 1 when Nikola Jokic of all people sashayed and stole the show.
With cameras popping, he arrived with a suspicious dark jacket with full length silver zipper and a large striped scarf, stealing sartorially from a famous fictional character in a hit move.
This was a bit of masterful product placement — Joker is participating in a promotional trailer for “Despicable Me 4.”
He spills his guts to a therapist about being teased and whines: “They say I look like Gru.”