Not a few quarters saw fit to write the Nuggets off in the wake of their disconcerting loss to the Lakers the other day. It wasn’t simply that the outcome put them two down after two contests in the West Finals. More crucially, it was that they appeared quite overmatched for long stretches at a time in both encounters. And while they made enough adjustments after Game One to nearly snatch victory in Game Two, that they succumbed, anyway, speaks volumes of their status as vast underdogs. In a series where they don’t have the two best players, they need no small measure of good fortune to survive.
To be sure, the Nuggets aren’t predisposed to accepting conventional wisdom. In fact, bucking it is precisely why they continue to be in the National Basketball Association’s bubble environment at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. If they’re well into their third month at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, it’s because they’ve learned to make their own luck with a heady concoction of skill and determination. Their remarkable sense of purpose was what enabled them to become the first in pro hoops annals to overcome two one-three deficits through a single playoff run.
For all the Nuggets’ confidence, though, they understand that their latest challenge is Sisyphean at best. Not only do they need to win four of their next five outings; they’ll be up against the vaunted Lakers, who: one, have LeBron James and Anthony Davis; two, boast of superior speed, strength, and athleticism; and, three, are equally driven to succeed. Which is why they’re bent on outworking their rivals at every turn from here on. They know that then, and only then, can they have a puncher’s chance of prevailing.
If there’s anything going for the Nuggets, it’s that they believe in themselves and in their capacity to blaze new trails. They, too, have an all-world cornerstone in Nikola Jokic, a fearless competitor in Jamal Murray, and a supporting cast completely subscribed to collective pursuits. They’re not likely to win — but, hey, their plight is nothing new to them. They’ve been there and done that, and if they’re still around to keep plodding on, it’s due to their resiliency. They won’t be handing anything to the Lakers without a fight, and they’ll be at their best just because they’re incapable of showing anything less.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
