Jordan Clarkson put forth the best offensive performance of his young career and Lou Williams added a seemingly endless limitless supply of free throws, but that end of the floor could only provide the Lakers so much against Denver.
L.A. (0-4) allowed the Nuggets to shoot 50.6 percent (43-of-85) from the field en route to a 120-109 loss.
“You don’t have to be the smartest or the fastest guy in the world, but you have to anticipate where the ball is going,” head coach Byron Scott said. “Where the next play is going; where your man is going. … Every time the ball moves, you have to move. And sometimes our guys just relax.”
Clarkson caught fire from tipoff, scoring 14 first-quarter points on a night when he would tie his career high with 30 on a blistering 12-of-19 clip.
Meantime, Lou Williams continuously baited the Nuggets (2-2) into contact with an array of pump fakes, which proved useful while singlehandedly keeping the game within reach via 14 points in the final quarter.
Williams — who shot just 4-of-11 from the field but finished with 24 points — knocked down a career-high 16 free throws on 19 attempts, which were also the most made foul shots by a Laker since Kobe Bryant on April 10, 2013 (18).
But even the duo, plus Julius Randle (16 points), couldn’t keep pace with the Nuggets, who had six players in double figures.
Most notably, Kenneth Faired lived up to his “Manimal” nickname by owning the paint with 28 points (10-of-13) and 15 rebounds.
“The basketball gods were on my side,” said Faried, who took just one shot outside the paint. “I just went out there and played my game. I went out there to have fun.”
Danilo Gallinari also added 21 points and eight rebounds for Denver.
Jordan Clarkson Shot Chart
Draft’s Top Point Guards Meet
The 2015 draft’s No. 2 pick, D’Angelo Russell, went head-to-head with his positional counterpart, as seventh-overall Emmanuel Mudiay visited downtown Los Angeles.
In 31 minutes, Mudiay shot just 3-of-13 and turned the ball over six times, but he also had his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 assists.
Russell didn’t shoot well either (3-of-11) and sat the entire fourth quarter while Williams heated up. He concluded with seven points, six assists and one turnover in 20 minutes.
Bryant Quiet
Still seeking to break through his early-season struggles, Kobe Bryant made slight improvements, but nonetheless finished with just 11 points on a 4-of-11 mark. He added five assists, a pair of steals and just one turnover, but went 1-of-5 in the second half.
“Kobe’s the last person I worry about,” Scott said. “I know how he is. He’s going to come to work … and do everything he has to do to get ready for the game. I’m not worried about him.”
Notes
Brandon Bass pulled down six offensive rebounds, giving him 1,002 for his career. … Clarkson nearly set a new scoring high, as he was fouled while hitting a layup late in the fourth quarter. But he missed the ensuing free throw, which would have given him 31. … A sold-out Staples Center hosted a crowd of 18,997.
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