The Denver Nuggets eliminated the Los Angeles Lakers from the first round of the playoffs, concluding the Lakers’ season with a narrow 108-106 defeat.
In the aftermath, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass initially offered an optimistic perspective, tweeting, “Tough season, but at least we won the in-season tournament. Proud of our team.” However, the comment was met with dissatisfaction from many Lakers fans, prompting Bass to remove the tweet and replace it with a more general statement of support: “You left it all on the floor — thank you.”
The Lakers had earlier celebrated a victory in the NBA’s first-ever in-season tournament by defeating the New Orleans Pelicans in Las Vegas, a triumph they commemorated with a banner in Crypto.com Arena. Despite some initial resistance, the in-season tournament gained acceptance among many NBA fans last winter. Nevertheless, the achievement did little to mitigate the disappointment for Lakers fans following a premature playoff exit.
Entering the postseason as the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed after a play-in victory over the Pelicans, the Lakers faced Denver in the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
This time, they managed to extend the series to five games, avoiding a sweep but ultimately falling short. The series included a dramatic Game 2 in which Denver overcame a 20-point deficit, capped off by a game-winning shot from Jamal Murray in Monday’s decisive game.
With the season over, the Lakers now approach a critical offseason, especially with LeBron James potentially opting out of his contract. The 39-year-old superstar sidestepped questions regarding his future in the immediate post-game discussions.