Magic Johnson: I Was Too 'Devastated' to Tweet After Lakers' Game 2 Loss to Nuggets
April 23, 2024
Magic Johnson said he was too "devastated" by the Los Angeles Lakers' Game 2 loss to the Denver Nuggets to post about the outcome Monday night.
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray scored at the buzzer to secure the Nuggets' 101-99 comeback win.
The Lakers "did everything they were supposed to do but win the game," Johnson wrote.
Johnson won five titles with the Lakers between 1980 and 1988. His hopes of seeing his former team return to the Finals took a hit Monday as the Lakers fell to a 2-0 deficit in the first-round series.
The Lakers led by as many as 20 points in the second half before the Nuggets' comeback.
That night, Johnson posted about the New York Knicks' Game 2 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers to take a two-game lead in their own first-round series.
He apparently needed more time to process the Lakers being outscored 53-31 while making just 12 shots over the last 22 minutes of the game.
Johnson has been weighing in on the Lakers' performance throughout the series so far. He was highly critical of starting guards D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves on Saturday night following the Lakers' 114-103 Game 1 loss to the Nuggets.
He pointed out Russell's 1-of-9 shooting from deep, and his combining with Reaves for 26 points, as a reason behind a loss he emphasized wasn't the fault of LeBron James or Anthony Davis.
Ahead of Monday's game, Johnson stressed that the Lakers needed better shooting from Reaves and Russell, as well as better defense and fewer turnovers.
The former Lakers star only got one of his wishes in Game 2. Although Russell contributed 23 points, Reaves' shooting dropped to 4-of-11 from the field as he was held to nine.
The Lakers' defensive problems meanwhile worsened as the team committed 15 total turnovers.
Los Angeles will need to regroup quickly to avoid being swept by the Nuggets for the second time in as many postseasons. Game 3 tips off in Los Angeles on Thursday at 10 p.m. ET.
