The following comes courtesy of Bard, Google’s AI platform except where bold.
The Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 108-103 in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday night at Ball Arena. The Nuggets now lead the series 2-0.
Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 37 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists. Jamal Murray added 24 points, and Aaron Gordon had 15 points and 11 rebounds.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 38 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists. Anthony Davis added 23 points, and Russell Westbrook had 10 points and 12 assists.
[Editors note: So much wrong here. Jokic finished with 23 points 17 rebounds and 12 assists, Murray 37 points and Gordon 10 points and 4 rebounds. For the Lakers James finished with 22 points, 9 rebounds and 10 assists, Davis had 18 points and Westbrook is in Cancun somewhere wearing a Clippers jersey!]
The Nuggets trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half, but they outscored the Lakers 36-20 in the third quarter to take a 90-87 lead into the fourth [Nuggets won the 3rd quarter 28-26 and the Lakers led to start the fourth 79-76]. The Nuggets then held on for the win.
The Nuggets will look to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series when they host the Lakers in Game 3 on Friday night. [Did Bard just predict the Game #3 outcome??]
Here are some other notable stats from the game:
- The Nuggets shot 47.5% from the field, while the Lakers shot 44.2%. [Nuggets shot 43.8% while the Lakers shot 43.9%]
- The Nuggets made 13 three-pointers, while the Lakers made 10. [Nuggets made 14 while the Lakers made 8. Big story here, and one that Bard missed, are the 3-point shots the Lakers took and missed in the final quarter]
- The Nuggets had a 48-44 rebounding advantage. [Close, Nuggets won the rebounding contest 49-40]
- The Nuggets had a 22-12 advantage in points off turnovers [Can neither confirm nor deny]
The Nuggets are now one win away from reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 2009. The Lakers are facing elimination and will need to win Game 3 to keep their season alive. [Sigh, Bard had been doing pretty well, but really butchered this overview. The Nuggets are one of six franchises to never make it to the Finals, yet. In 2009 they lost to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals 4-2. Bard was right about the Lakers though; game 3 is must-win!]
Here is a pretty cool interaction I had with Bard about Russell Westbrook.
- Me: What team is Russell Westbrook on?
- Bard: Russell Westbrook is currently playing for the Los Angeles Clippers.
- Me: Why do you always mention him when talking about the Los Angeles Lakers then?
- Bard: I apologize for the confusion. I am still under development and learning to answer questions in a comprehensive and informative way, even if they are open ended, challenging, or strange. I mentioned Russell Westbrook when talking about the Los Angeles Lakers because he was a member of the team during the 2021-2022 season. He was traded to the Clippers in February 2023. I will try my best to be more accurate in the future.
