The Denver Nuggets almost blew Game 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers after leading by as many as 21 points at one point. With 1:12 remaining, LeBron James made two free-throws to make the score 129-126 and a one possession game. Fortunately for the Nuggets, the Lakers would not score again, and Denver would go on to win 132-126. Despite the Game 1 win, head coach Michael Malone can not be pleased with letting the Lakers back into a game that looked locked up in the early moments of the third quarter. There will be some major adjustments that the Nuggets need to make if they want to go up 2-0 in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

Albeit almost blowing the game, there are a lot of positives to point to for the Nuggets. First off and primarily, Nikola Jokic looked like the best player in the world. He had 34 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists, giving himself his second 30-point, 20-rebound triple-double in his playoff career. In the history of the NBA Playoffs, Jokic now has the most such games ever with two, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain. Anytime Wilt Chamberlain is passed in a record, it is something to behold. Besides Jokic, the entire starting lineup showed up for the Nuggets. Jamal Murray had 31 points on 12/20 shooting and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 21 on 9/17 from the field. Michael Porter Jr. poured in 15 and Aaron Gordon had 12 to round out the starting five.

Even with the great performances across the board, the Nuggets will have to make the aforementioned adjustments to come home with another victory like they did in Game 1. In particular, there are three adjustments that are imperative for the Nuggets to make if they want to go up 2-0 on the Lakers before heading to Los Angeles.

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Slow down Los Angeles Lakers' Anthony Davis

Nikola Jokic won the big man battle in Game 1 solely because of his unreal performance. If it weren't for his numbers and a Nuggets win, Anthony Davis would have been the story of Game 1. Davis had 40 points and 10 rebounds on 14/23 shooting, while adding two blocks and three steals along the way. Davis was simply getting whatever he wanted all game long, primarily coming from mid-range to short 10-footers. In Game 2, the Nuggets will need to simply limit the amount of easy, open looks Davis found in Game 1.

There were so many times throughout Game 1 where Davis found himself with a clear push-shot and no one defending him. This is because Jokic does not want to guard too far out on the perimeter, so Davis was able to take advantage of being farther away from the rim. In Game 2, the Nuggets will need to suffocate Davis as a team as soon as he crosses the perimeter, allowing Jokic to stay back and handle him near the rim. If they can do this, they should have success in limiting the scoring output from the Lakers big man.

Denver Nuggets need to get Rui Hachimura in foul trouble

The Lakers made a huge adjustment putting Rui Hachimura defensively on Nikola Jokic in the second half. It worked, as it spurred the comeback and almost gave the Lakers a thrilling victory. Hachimura is a tough defensive assignment for Jokic because he is strong enough to hold his ground, but much quicker than the Serbian big man; if Hachimura is able to meet Jokic near the 3-point line, Jokic will have a tough time getting to the rim against the Lakers. This is why when Hachimura is on the floor, the Nuggets need to be physical with him on both ends.

If Rui Hachimura gets in foul trouble, the Lakers will have to use a combination of Anthony Davis and Jarred Vanderbilt on Jokic. While Davis isn't as quick as Hachimura, Vanderbilt is not as strong, so Jokic would be able to better find the mismatch against both. Davis is of course one of the better defenders in the game, but he will have an easier job protecting the rim if he can help onto Jokic instead of being the primary defender. That is why forcing Davis to guard Jokic and getting Hachimura into foul trouble is imperative, as the Nuggets will be able to find better mismatches.

Defend LeBron James' pick and roll better

The Lakers found a recipe for success with LeBron James being a primary ball-handler in the pick and roll in the second half. Multiple times he ran a pick-and-roll with Austin Reaves and was able to kick back out to the Oklahoma product who subsequently drained a three. The Nuggets need to find a way to hedge just long enough to not give James an open lane to the rim, but also have sufficient help on the weak side to not give the Lakers shooters open looks from three. If the Nuggets can neutralize LeBron James in the pick-and-roll, they will be taking away one of the Lakers preferred half-court sets.

Of course, stopping LeBron James in anything is like stopping Nikola Jokic in anything: it really can't be done. However, it can be limited to an extent, and defending the pick-and-roll truthfully just comes down to effort. If all five guys are aware when James calls for the set up top, then the correct helpers will be prepared to take away the driving lanes and the open looks. If they can do this successfully, the Lakers would find it much tougher to make runs like they did in Game 1. Overall, this is the last of the three major adjustments the Nuggets need to make.