The Los Angeles Lakers‘ misery against the Denver Nuggets continues. LeBron James & Co suffered their 5th straight playoff loss against Nikola Jokic & Co at Ball Arena. Tonight, the Lakers fumbled out in the second half despite a dominant stretch in the first half. Regardless of the record, ex-Golden State Warriors star Gilbert Arenas rested his confidence on the Purple and Gold side.

Following the disappointing 103-114 loss, Arenas took to his X handle and predicted the series result. He wrote, “Lakers in 7!” along with an iconic Lakers slogan that read, “We believe.” While he predicted the Lakers to win the series, the team had another big task to complete before that. First and foremost, they need to win a single game against the Nuggets. In their 9 outings, the Mile High City had whitewashed the legendary side.

Even though Gilbert Arenas’ statement may look unreasonable at this point, a series can head in any direction. Tonight, the Nuggets didn’t just outplay the Lakers at their home. In fact, the Lakers seemed like they were going to end their adversity in the first half. LeBron James and Anthony Davis put up a great show, keeping the lead intact.

In the third quarter, the Nuggets pulled the game back with an impressive 32-18 run, taking an 11-point lead. The LA side showed some resistance in the fourth quarter, bringing the lead down to 6 points. It was the Michael Malone playbook that saved the Nuggets again.

Ahead of the series, Arenas pointed out an important strategy that the Lakers needed to be aware of, the last 3 minutes strategy. The ex-Warriors pointed out that it’s either Jamal Murray or Nikola Jokic who runs the play. He also added, “Those two. Everybody else who touches that ball is either going to shoot it or pass it back.” 

Tonight, the Nuggets made 6 points in the last 3 minutes, 4 of them were scored by the duo. Apart from that, he also revealed another strategy to beat the Nuggets.

D’Angelo Russell would make or break Lakers’ Playoffs run

One of the important factors for tonight’s loss was D’Angelo Russell‘s shot-making. The 28-year-old star dropped 13 points with an underwhelming 6-20 FG and 1-9 from the arc. Considering the All-Star’s performance in the regular season, averaging 18 points per game, he definitely had an off night.

Notably, Gilbert Arenas banked on D’Lo ahead of the series as a crucial factor in toppling the Nuggets. He added, “If [D’Lo] plays the way he’s been playing this season, we’re winning the series…  So if [Russell] is averaging the 15-20 he’s been averaging, it’s a whole different series.”

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However, Russell hasn’t had a great playoff last year. During the Western Conference Finals series, he averaged only 6.3 points and the Lakers ultimately lost the series with a 4-0 record. On top of it, he shot at only 32.3% in that series. Tonight, he shot at 30% from the field and if the jinx continues, the Lakers may have a repeat of last year’s WCF.

Nevertheless, it isn’t over until it is over, and the tables can turn at any moment. Notably, James had a shaky second half. He couldn’t make the similar impact that he created in the first half. Anyway, the Lakers will have to wait at Denver for another game before they head to their home game. Will the Lakers break the streak? Let us know in the comments.