With the Clippers eliminated, the Los Angeles Lakers are now deemed NBA title favourite, and they certainly played like champions-to-be on Friday as they beat the Denver Nuggets 126-114 in Game 1 of their conference final matchup.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis got the Lakers to an early start while Rajon Rondo continued his stellar playoff performance with seven points and nine assists in 21 minutes.
Dwight Howard also provided a huge boost coming off from the bench to add 13 points, three rebounds and two blocks after sitting out most of the series against the Houston Rockets.
Davis was undeniable on the night as he managed 37 points on 12-for-21 shooting (12-for-15 from the free-throw line) while adding another 10 rebounds in 32 minutes. James orchestrated the offence all night long, finishing with 15 points, 12 assists, and six rebounds in 30 minutes.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray led the Nuggets despite getting caught up in early foul trouble with 21 points each in the loss.
The Nuggets never really got back their rhythm after the first quarter and were outscored 34-21 in the second quarter.
The Lakers will look to take a 2-0 lead in the series in Game 2 on Sunday.
Watch the Game highlights below
