The first official game of the 2023-2024 NBA season was the Los Angeles Lakers playing the Denver Nuggets.
The starting lineup for the Lakers was D’Angelo Russell for point guard, Austin Reaves as shooting guard, LeBron James as small forward, Jarred Vanderbilt as power forward, and Anthony Davis as center.
The starting lineup for the Nuggets included Jamal Murray as point guard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as shooting guard, Michael Porter Jr. as small forward, Aaron Gordon as power forward, and Nikola Jokic as center.
The Lakers had a good start by winning the tip-off and taking the ball down as Davis went up for a dunk. The Nuggets led 34-20 going into the second quarter. To start off the second quarter, Christian Wood made a floater to put to score to 22-37 Nuggets lead.
The Nuggets took the ball down on a fast-break when Murray passed the ball to Jackson when James took a charge and Reggie hit the three pointer, putting the Nuggets ahead of the Lakers 40-22. Porter Jr. took the ball down on a fast-break then passed to Murray then hit a floater over Davis. Davis fouls him and Jamal gets free throws — the Nuggets lead 60-48. The second quarter ended with the Nuggets leading 63-54.
In the beginning of the third quarter, Reaves got a steal and sprints down the court for a tomahawk dunk — Nuggets lead 63-56. Davis handed it off to Prince for the three point shot which he made — Nuggets lead 70-61.
On another fast-break the ball gets stolen by Caldwell-Pope who passed it to Murray who fired a three from the corner — Nuggets lead 73-64. The ball gets stolen by Porter Jr. who passed it to Jokic who passed to Murray who alley-ooe-d it to Gordon who dunked it in for two points — Nuggets lead 75-67.
The Lakers got a turn-over by Russell who passed to Hachimura who dunked it in over Jokic’s head — the Nuggets still lead 87-75. The third quarter ended with the Nuggets leading 87-82.
The fourth and final quarter started with Wood getting the ball on an inbound play which he then got a dunk, Nuggets lead 87-84. Gordon got the ball and made a three point shot to put the Nuggets ahead 90-84. James got a hand-off at the three-point line and shot a three and made it — the Nuggets still lead 92-89.
Jokic handed the ball to Caldwell-Pope who shot a jump shot to take the score to 99-90, Nuggets lead. James passed the ball to Prince who fired a three and put the score to 103-94, Nuggets still lead.
James cut down the key and got a pass from Reaves which then put up a lay-up, the score 103-96, Nuggets lead. Jokic finds Porter Jr. in the corner, shot a three and made it, Nuggets lead 113-99. James got the ball, drove to the hoop for a lay-up, 113-101, Nuggets lead. Porter Jr. got the rebound and put it back up for two point, the Nuggets continue to lead 117-103.
The Nuggets run the clock for 15 seconds to end the game with the Nuggets beating the Lakers 119-107. Devan Sams, Junior, said “I was a little bit upset that the Lakers lost. I feel like LeBron played pretty good for year 21.”
