Hoops Habit
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Los Angeles Lakers: 3 takeaways from preseason game No. 2

By Michael Dugger

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 02: Monte Morris NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 02: Monte Morris NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images /

The Los Angeles Lakers lost their second preseason game 113-107 to the Denver Nuggets on Monday night, coming short on a late fourth quarter rally led by the impressive shooting of Kyle Kuzma.

The Los Angeles Lakers played their first game of the preseason at Staples Center Monday night, falling to the Denver Nuggets, 113-107. The Lakers held a six-point lead after the first quarter on the back of some crisp defending that led to transition opportunities, but couldn’t maintain this level of focus and spent a majority of the second half trailing by double digits.

Both teams committed soft fouls throughout the night that led to 54 free throw attempts, and combined for 52 3-point shots on the evening. The deep ball ultimately separated the Nuggets from the Lakers as the visitors from Denver connected on 15-of-27 looks from deep (55.6 percent) opposed to the Lakers, who went 9-for-25 from downtown (36 percent).

Julius Randle finished with a double-double for the Lakers, scoring 12 points along with 10 rebounds in 23 minutes. Ivica Zubac replaced Larry Nance Jr. in the starting lineup, but failed to take advantage of the opportunity as he failed to attempt a shot in the game and had trouble defending Nikola Jokic on the other end.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope played hard throughout the game, filling the box score with 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in a game-high 29 minutes. KCP is adapting to his new leadership role with the Lakers and it was nice to see him competing with the rookies at the end.

Lonzo Ball’s night was called early after suffering a minor injury to his left ankle at the end of the second quarter. Lonzo started the second half, but exited to the locker room in the fourth quarter to receive treatment. He finished the game with eight points and four assists, and did a decent job of controlling the tempo during his time on the court.

Brandon Ingram failed to make a significant impact on either side of the court, shooting 3-for-9 from the field to finish with nine points. Ingram is a favorite to lead the Lakers in scoring, but our first takeaway begins with the rookie that has led the team in points in each of the first two preseasons games.

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