LAURI MARKKANEN to the DENVER NUGGETS | WHAT IF SERIES | NBA 2K26 Wish List (IN DESCRIPTION)

LAURI MARKKANEN to the DENVER NUGGETS | WHAT IF SERIES | NBA 2K26 Wish List (IN DESCRIPTION)

on 2K Sports Moments away it’ll be the Denver Nuggets going up against the Los Angeles Lakers Good evening everyone This is Kevin Harland joined by Stan Van Gundy and Greg Anthony on our sideline David Aldridge And one injury for them They’re still pretty close to full strength though Missing a valued contributor that can be a challenge We’ll see how they answer the bell And now the Lakers starting group outside the wings are Reeves and James He’s out there with Ruy Hatimura and it’s Donic in at the point guard And for the Nuggets in at the guard spots it’s Murray and Brown Arinan is out there with Yic And it’s Gordon in at the three the small forward And both teams look to move the ball around Stan to create more offense Well that’s usually the best way to attack especially against good defenses Ball movement moves the defense and when you’ve got the defense on the move that’s when you can break them down and get high percentage shots It takes patience It takes unselfishness It seems to be the most efficient way doesn’t it it does especially against really good defenses And so the Los Angeles Lakers get the first points of the ball game taken away by Hayes to the inside Here’s Hatchima and the dunk by Hatchima And proving to be effective around the rim Hakimura leaving no doubt about that one Joic sets the screen from his three-pointer off the mark The Lakers with a quick start to this game It’s a five-point game Honic outside [Applause] back to Reeves Six on the shot clock Three-pointer Markin pulls it in on offense Here are the Nuggets Joic finds Murray outside Gordon pass to Joic Makes it out to Markin That’s in coming off the assist from Joic I tell you what Mark has already mastered the art of the bank shot Loves getting it up there and knocking that one down You have got to be in his space if you want to disrupt this river Right now let’s send it over to the sidelines and get a report from David Aldridge Thanks very much Briefly spoke with David Helman Obviously they’re trying to limit the damage Luca Donucher clicks That’s at the front of his mind He said “Luca is going to get his We can’t stop that but we can’t let him set up everyone else for easy ones When the whole team gets involved we’re cooked Going to make him work for every assist out there guys.” Thanks David Locking in Can’t get it to go And that is the exact type of opportunity this offense is looking to create Yeah quality offense will serve you well in the long run You can’t settle for bad shots And Hayes throws it down That is ferocious You said it That was ferocious And looking back coach how great was it to see the Nuggets win their first title back in 2023 one of the great NBA stories Kevin It was huge It was a moment years in the making That championship meant so much to the city of Denver and its fans And JJ Reic is called timeout He wants to make some adjustments to the game plan clearly [Applause] [Applause] James finds Donic Reeves outside Ring shot on the way and it’s Donuch that time on the assist by Reeves And we’re so used to Donic operating with the ball in his hands but it’s good to see him mix it up and work off the catch Here’s Brown Joic with a screen on Donic Brown the pass to Joic and oh boy a lot of contact there but he gets the call and will shoot two Last season Stan Joic passed LeBron’s all-time triple double mark and he did it stunningly in 813 fewer games Yeah Now it’s really possible Kevin that he’s going to end up at the top of that triple double list by the time his career’s over He’s got the big O and Westbrook in his sights You know don’t sell this guy short He can do it almost any night What’s great about Jokic G is he can put up MVP numbers and he’s and he’s got a little personality to him doesn’t he he does You can tell he just loves life He loves everything he does especially when he’s on the floor making his teammates better And Yicops both Well you have to appreciate a big man who can step up to the line and knock it down with confidence James in the post He’s against Gordon James misses Denver’s gone two or three from deep so far in this game Pass to Markin and the rejection by LeBlanc Come on now That shot had no chance getting by LeBron Here’s Brown The Nuggets with another miss LA’s gone Just one of four from three-point range here in the first Here’s Donic Oh he blocked it and deflects off the backboard Here’s Murray back to Yic Denver passing it around Murray against Reeves [Applause] Here’s Brown Hasn’t made one yet Shoots over Donic A nice shot by Brown Lakers trail by three [Music] to the paint Joic with the steel Here’s by LeBron And I feel like Joic has 360 degree vision I mean no matter where the open man is he’s going to find LeBron against Gordon The drive by Donicura kicks to James Reeves with the screen for James Four on the clock and that’s good Austin Reeves for three And this is who James is A a guy who’s always looking to pass it and involve his teammates Timeout is called First of the game for the Nuggets Heat Heat [Applause] Arinan dishes to Gordon Yokage on top covered by Hayes Pass to Gordon Here’s Brown Pocket six into the lane And that one clearly a foul Gets the whistle and two shots coming up It’s on Luca Donic I tell you what he earned his money on that foul 21st pick in the 2022 draft Christian Brown who won a title with Denver during his rookie year and their coach Michael Malone used him in certain situations and he flourished Well you know Kevin he won a college championship the year before This guy’s played in a lot of high pressure games and that is what has given Michael Malone the confidence to go with him He was ready for those moments Ready indeed Good on both [Applause] And here is Los Angeles now trailing by four Reeves outside Back to Donic Pass to Hatchima No good from outside And so it’s Joic with the ball He brings it up for the Denver Nuggets And it’s Gordon missing Oh this is exactly the kind of opportunity you don’t want to waste Here’s Reeves He’s covered by Murray Donic against Joic Hatchima setting the pick for Donic inside And that one’s good Hatchima Hatimura’s got seven points in the game And that’s impressive mobility there Hachimura is tough to stay with given how quick he rolls in these sets The Nuggets with another miss and not allowing the shooter even an inch of breathing room on that one There’s no air space there whatsoever That’s as close as you can get without foul Here’s Reeves Craps in the drain Reeves He has six And the instincts there from Hachimura Notice the overcommitment by the defense and then makes the right pass outside marking it trying to answer back but that three is off the mark Los Angeles has gone three of seven from three-point range in the first quarter Reeves the pass to Donets off target with his three The Nuggets trail [Applause] Here’s Markin Hatchim grabs the miss And there hasn’t been anything easy for him in this period Well the offense has to look for ways to get him easier shots better selections You have to be set up for success LeBron shot is off Well when they’re playing off you you have to make them pay And he couldn’t Argan kicks to M Gordon with a screen on Himura down low And then Gordon with the dunk Downright lethal in the pick and roll Gordon’s size and quickness along with the decision making It’s a tough combination And JJ Reick is called timeout He wants to talk to his guys And Greg something that is so important to this team Jamal Murray’s shot creation It is Deon He creates so much with the ball or off of it The work he puts in on offense frees up everything for his teammates Great competitor who’s really a perfect fit with this court Small teams changing it up here Here’s Donic shooting foul As the whistle blows he’ll shoot two free throws And so confident even amongst the trees Don is fantastic at forcing the issue close to the rim That one is off Eyepopping talent from Dant We don’t see many players with his size and skill set He hits the second from the line for Denver They’ve gone six of 14 shooting the ball since the start of the game Pass to Joic over Vanderbilt and Joic with the basket on the assist by Murray Yic has got seven points in the game Donic against West Here’s Reeds Rejected by Murray and he gets it back and Finny Smith gets it to go Good job of stepping up to the plate there Seizing back the momentum for his team Yeah plenty of lead changes in this game It’s gone back and forth and it’s Joic missing The Lakers in the lead Pass the Vanderbilts and it’s connect in the corner Murray against Reeds and it’s off from three-point range And so it’s Joic with the ball He brings it up for Denver Now Murray Watson the pass to Joic Denver passing it around Five to shoot the offensive rebound and it’s blocked in the corner Finny Smith with it The shots good on the assist by Donic Finny Smith’s got a pair of threes now in the first quarter for Los Angeles At the elbow Joic over Vanderbilt Another miss by Joic Here’s the Lakers with the ball They’re on a 15-6 run Connect No good And the great shooters know when they’ve got enough opening to go for the three I didn’t think it was a bad choice on that possession And the latest now from our sideline reporter David Aldridge David it’s all yours Take it away Kevin thanks If you think Luther Don makes amazing shots in games you should see his trick shots It’s legendary stuff with his teammates Lucas says I’m just making them up I like to have fun So sometimes I just try some new stuff And of course Kevin he always feels like they’re going in Thank you Da He is a magician with the ball a very creative mind and it’s fun to watch Los Angeles leading by six Donic feeling it out [Applause] Reeves outside knocks down the three ball Reeves has got nine Excellent at dishing the rock Luca with the nice feed The Nugget shooting 33% here in the first quarter Denver calls timeout And coach can’t like what he’s seeing trying to get them refocused Yeah you have to take a timeout in a situation like this Stop the bleeding a bit and regroup You know what time it is Make some noise So it’s both teams making substitutions here 59 seconds left here in the opening quarter Westbrook with a wide open look Gets it to go from beyond the ar Westbrook is so much more difficult to defend when that three ball is going down to the middle Here’s connect Good And the assist goes to Donic Donic has got six assists now in the game 46 seconds left in the first quarter of the game And passes to West Here’s the screen Agaji down to five on the shot clock Donic with the block The anticipation is there for Luca on defense Pick it That’s good There’s 21 seconds left in the first Now here’s Donic Vinnie Smith with it Back to Donic Shoots Set it up with the fake but it’s offline And we reach the end of the first quarter Lakers lead by six and we’ll be back with you right after this and hope you’ve enjoyed the broadcast so far halfway through the first half in this one And what do you guys think so far about the offensive approach for Los Angeles well I have to applaud their ball movement They’re moving the ball around finding the best looks they can and keeping everyone involved And they’ve also been feeling it from beyond the arc Good start for them so far The Nuggets trail by six So for the Lakers right now in it forward for him it’s James and Hachimura Vincent is out there with Shake Milton And it’s Cleba in at the center locking down the middle Here’s Nachi He has yet to score And there’s the bucket for Markin And early on Markin has demonstrated how efficient he is from that range have to run him off the line James sets a screen for Milton Driving inside It’s hauled in by the Nuggets It’s three on three on the fast break Back to Mark and from outside the arc Out of bounds The Lakers will take possession Lakers leading by three LeBron passes to Milton Inside here’s Cleveland and he’s fouled pretty hard on that shot but he’s got the chance to pick up the points at the line You know Stan it sometimes seems that coaches get themselves ejected on purpose to to fire up their team Uh am I on the right track there or not well Kevin certainly it happens with some guys There have certainly been guys Jerry Sloan Don Nelson who would do some of that How about you how about you no Kevin you know me All I always ever tried to do was help the referees because we all just want to get to the right call and I could help them in that You did all the time As much as I could but they were not receptive [Applause] He hits both from the strike The Nuggets trail by five Second quarter and we’re just over a minute in Pass to Brown and the three ball is good Brown’s got nine That’s inexcusable defense right there You got to contest the shot better than that LeBron outside fires the three and it’s rolled in by Larry Markin And so Markin will bring it up for the Denver Nuggets Pass to pick it Down low Deflects the pass [Applause] Milton in the corner And here in the second two minutes gone by LeBron passes to Hatchima Back to LeBron And such a physical player inside LeBron doesn’t fear contact on the way up This is his first free throw of the game Uh you know when you look at his numbers this season he’s had a respectable number 77% Two shots [Applause] The free throw drops for James The feel LeBron has for the game Unreal Whatever situation he finds himself in he always seems to have an answer Jordan’s checked in for Nagu And both free throws good for LeBron The Nuggets trail by four Pickicket passes to Brown Here’s Picket Defended by Vincent Fouled on the shot and picks up two points So one free throw coming up Great job of screening there Nice job to take it to the rim They get the finish The Nuggets shooting their fifth attempt at the line in the game and their success rate on the season right around 77% Your Nuggets pick it One shot One shot And the free throw no good Los Angeles has gone six of 14 with the three ball tonight Just a little over 40% Oh and he he went for the two-hander on the slam using some muscle some urgency from him there Sure Denver calls timeout Let’s give it a welcome [Applause] here in the second quarter We’ve played a little over 2 and 1/2 minutes now Pass to Brown Markin in a screen on Milton outside Markin sinks the three-pointer Markin’s got six here in this quarter And the shooting mechanics that Marin has are are just phenomenal His form the release point everything It looks good every time it leaves his hands Hatchimal And the dunk by Hatchima Oh just solid on the one-handed slam And guys when it’s a tight ball game like this he’s the guy they want with the ball Here’s Picket And it’s blocked And it’s the Lakers on the break Here’s Vincent Lost contact on the shot And now a three-point play chance as he’ll head to the line Any chance you get you want to put yourself in a position to succeed and that’s what he did there Well converting on those transition opportunities is just so important Los Angeles making a switch here Jackson A’s He’s checked in for Maxi Cleba Cory and Finny Smith comes in for Ruie Himera Austin Reeves is checked in for James and Donic is subbed in for Shake Milton A free throw drops for Vincent And Stan we seem to be in the midst of a big man renaissance in the NBA and I personally I love it So that being said which of these big stars do you like the most well that’s a tough question because there’s so much talent and they’re all different You’ve got Embiid who is unstoppable offensively You’ve got Wimmanyama with his combination of size and length skill and agility You’ve got guys who can shoot the ball But the guy that combines the most of those things that I would take Nicola Joic Here’s Pickicket The Nuggets with another miss Here’s Vincent No good on the triple The Nuggets trail by six [Applause] Pass to pick it on the Wayne Gordon Jordan sets the pick for Gordon to the inside Taken away by Hayes Vincent with it And it’s Gordon picking him up Vincent the pass to Donic Picked by Vinnie Smith The tray the triple Donic And guys the intelligence is evident when the pick comes Donic often makes the right read Picked by Markin Here’s Brown Defended by Vincent Here’s Donic And the call on the shot that sends him to the line What determination from Donic pushing his shot through despite some stiff defense to draw the foul He’ll take his third and fourth free throw shots of the game right here And the free throws have been dropping for him at a rate of about 77% on the season [Applause] That free throw missing and Los Angeles with some changes Hatchima he’s checked in for Dory and Finny Smith and LeBron subbed in for Gabe Vincent And the second free throw Good And here are the Nuggets now It’s a 10-point game To the paint Here’s Markin The shots good Markin’s got eight here in the quarter Look you got to keep Markin out of the paint He’s just too big on that block and imposes his will Honest with a screen on Gordon Here’s James James absorbing hits on the drive And they keep hammering away at him inside forcing the ball into the paint Here’s Brown He’s got nine Shot clock at six Gordon with a screen on Reed Brown the pass to Gordon and it’s Gordon finishing it off We all know Gordon isn’t just going to lay it up He’s going for the throw down every time And really Coach Vani the acquisition of Aaron Gordon for the Nuggets was one of the things that elevated them to the championship caliber team that we saw Yeah Kevin he was sort of the missing piece He’s a great fit in the front court alongside of Joic His athleticism his defense his ability to score inside have really made them a great team And what about his ability Stan to fit in right off the bat and make a difference You know just about anybody can fit in playing with Kevin He makes the game easier Well said And Hayes throws it down That’s just a great pass Excellent vision to see the open spot in the defense and lead him to the score Jordan outside [Applause] and foul on the shot So he’ll get a chance at the line And Jordan doesn’t look to score often but when he does he goes up strong and attracts the defense Ben shooting their sixth and seventh free throw attempts tonight Free throw good Jordan And we’re seeing some big paydays for NBA head coaches these days Stan uh do you miss it do I miss the paychecks yeah Yeah Yeah Payday was always really good in the NBA No question about that What about now though what about now well it’s gone through the roof but look the tradeoff is the paydays are big but there’s not a great deal of job security Kevin an incredible 611 athlete DeAndre Jordan tries to own the rim on both ends It’s his airspace when he’s out there And so it’s going to be a 3second violation out there on the defense for Los Angeles They have made seven out of nine when they’ve stepped to the line And he shows the focus there Nails the technical Yic He’s checked in for Jordan Here’s Reeves 10 points for him Len with a screen on Murray Back to Reeves Some nice passing here by Los Angeles Six to shoot Atura setting the pick for James Doesn’t go for him That’s one he knows he should have drained Gordon kicks to Marinon Pass to Brown in the corner Murray with it This one for three There we go Now in the scoring column at that He is one for four Really Murray can hit from anywhere on the arc The corner three is just another trick he has up his sleeve Now here’s James Hachimura with a screen on GL LeBron James making it look easy from deep Matching baskets from the perimeter An earmark of today’s game Yeah sometimes you get in a shootout like this but you just hope that you can get a stop first Los Angeles leading by six Hatchim down low He’s guarded by Markin and LeBron with another miss for Denver They’ve gone eight of 14 in the second quarter on field goal attempts and it’s Gordon finishing it off One of the best passing bigs the league has to offer If you’re open Joic he’ll find you And it’s a defensive 3second violation A sensational block that definitely deserves another look And guys that is lock down defense at its finest going right at the shot and then able to knock it away And what I love about Marin he takes care of the basketball and that’s a result of being patient playing smart and just generally getting his points within the flow of the offense And the technical free throw is good James finds Donic There’s the triple It’s held in by Joic Joic has got 10 rebounds here tonight So active shot is good in the Los Angeles leads So that down now to just three on the basket for Markin And I like that Markin needs to play like a seven-footer because he’s got the talent but he also has a pretty strong frame when he wants to use it And it’s still a rare sight to see rebound numbers like the ones he’s had tonight Well it’s all due to his energy and effort as well as how well he’s been able to get ideal positioning on the glass marketing absorbing the contact He’s really good at staying with his shot through that contact He’s getting his first free throw attempt of the game here And the Nuggets making a change here Swather’s checked in Dorian Finny Smith’s checked in for Los Angeles Kette comes in for James And that one misses And Markin is showing the aggressiveness you like to see in a guy with his skill set Somebody who doesn’t lack confidence when he shoots the ball And two free throws coming up Unable to get that one to go with all the content It’s going to be on Aaron Gordon Wow Wow He got whacked on that one Shouldn’t be much debate there The Lakers have shot nine of 11 at the free throw line Yeah pretty good numbers on the season when you look at their free throw attempts right around 78% And that one misses for the Nuggets Joic has checked in for Gordon Ben Watson comes in for Lowry Markin And Russell Westbrook is subbed in for Christian Brown and he sinks the second The Nuggets trail Murray outside Pass to Joic over Len Joic No good And so Donuch will bring it up for the Lakers They’ve led by as much as 10 and they call the foul So he’s got the and one chance here to make it a three-point play So Reeves will go to the free throw line It’s going to be on Jamal Murray For the Lakers Reeves one shot free throw good Reeves The Nuggets trail by five Pass to Strawther That’s in there Murray with the assist Murray’s got six assists now in the game And that’s how you execute offensively Murray with a great job of getting it to his teammate outside [Applause] fires the three There’s the answer from Donic Both teams running perimeter oriented plays that are working well You know it’s become a three-point shooting league Teams shooting a steady diet from outside Wide open look here for Murray Tried to come right back with a three of his own but it’s no good Los Angeles leading by five Finny Smith passes to Donic Some nice passing here by Los Angeles Here’s Connect And another three for the Lakers You have to stay attached to Connect He’s a terrific offball threat Murray with the bounce pass Watson The pass to Joic Shoots over Len and rebounded by Connect Well he wants to shoot his way out of this coal spill but the struggles continue Yeah I get it But you don’t want him forcing things It’s better to get your shots within the flow of the offense And the foul on Jamal Murray So that will be his second foul of the game We’re in the bonus We’ll go to the line to shoot two And this is his third trip to the line tonight [Applause] The first one falls [Applause] The free throw is good from Donic 30 seconds left now here in the second Joic sets the screen for Murray The Nuggets with another miss Well you can’t question his confidence from out there but it’s not falling Maybe time for a different approach Pass to Len Good defense by Joic Suffocating defense to keep the layup from falling And so it’s the Los Angeles Lakers going into the break with a 10-point lead And their three-point shooting has paved the way for them And we’ll be right back after this Please direct your attention to center court and get ready for the bad shot Drum roll [Music] They’re thinking about a shot [Applause] Participate Hey hey hey [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] And we’ve got third quarter of basketball for you Two quarters in the books Alre marking and having a dominant impact in this game Yeah And the bulk of his damage so far has come from the perimeter A lot of threes early on and defensively they’re giving him too many good looks out there They need to start running him off the line And here is Murray in at the guard spots It’s Murray and Brown Markin is out there with Aaron Gordon And it’s Joic in at the five spot That’s the group on the floor for Denver Murray no good And even against defense as tight as that you almost expect him to still bury those Hansen from downtown And we know Hachimura has a confident personality You see it there with the rise and fire approach Nice Now here’s Markin Lets it go from deep Made that one It’s the seventh of the contest Seven for 15 from the floor Matching baskets from the perimeter and earmark of today’s game Yeah sometimes you get in a shootout like this but you just hope that you can get a stop first Reeves against Murray Bouncers with a screen on Murray Shot clock at five and stolen by Gordon And now here’s Markin The fast break chance Yep that one goes Markin’s got it back down to a single digit deficit for the Nuggets And staying aggressive on offense Markin is always looking to score the basketball This guy’s really become a refined scorer Murray against Reeds [Applause] Donic with a screen for Reeds and another basket for the Lakers I love that they’re continuing to attack despite being up big Yeah they’re being absolutely relentless building this lead in every way possible Now here’s Murray Pass to Joic Outside Gordon off target from outside and Reeves has got the ball here for Los Angeles and he’s going up for the alley hoop It’s going to be out of bounds Los Angeles will retain possession Great energy on the deflection and a good job disrupting their offense Yeah there’s nothing easy on offense Coaches love seeing that kind of hustle on the defensive end Now here’s Donic He’s got 12 and you could tell he thought that triple was going to fall Markin passes to Murray [Applause] A little under two and a half minutes gone by here in the third A three-pointer is right on target Murray’s got six And the best scorers like Murray they believe every shot they take is going in no matter how deep they are on the floor Now here’s Donic A shot Here’s LeBron Two points That one goes And that’s now nine points for LeBron And nice touch from the inside I’m a fan of when LeBron just burls his way inside and takes advantage Denver calls timeout Junior Let’s give it up one more time for your mini team Three minutes gone now in the third quarter Some nice ball movement by the Nuggets Markining from outside and it’s Luca with the rebound Donic has got his seventh rebound of the game with that last one And a wide open look for Hatimura Good And the assist goes to Donic Donic has got nine assists in the game Great passing out to the right wing Donic with the steel Donic to the rack Rejected by Murray and he’s able to get it back The Nuggets trail by 12 And with an update from the sidelines Let’s check in with David Aldridge Kevin thanks For the NBA content continues to be king Commissioner Adam Silver says the biggest issues for streaming services is what’s called churn To cancel is just a click So it’s more payforplay these days We have to focus on people staying with you and having great content throughout the year Kevin you know he’s doing a great job isn’t he David thank you so much And how about the balance of Donage on that possession amazing at just absorbing the contact and still with the strength to finish And it’ll be his fourth time going to the free throw line in the game One shot [Applause] for Denver They’ve gone four of seven to get things started here in the second half Marking in from outside LeBron grabs the miss James has got rebound number five here tonight Reeves can’t hit Not sure what what the D was doing there Clearly a breakdown You can he’ll afford to give a guy like him that good a look Here’s Murray and a lot of contact on that one So he’ll shoot two here You know coach guys who are really productive like Jamal Murray often have turnover issues but you know what he really doesn’t struggle with that No he doesn’t And that’s one of the great things about him Kevin He can be that aggressive but stay under control and take care of the ball always poised nothing seems to bother him That’s an added quality that you don’t see with a lot of guys who shoot and score as much as he does Re good Murray both shots good from the strike Well he’s been very good at the line and we all know free throws can make or break you in the end Pass to Hatchima Now LeBron and all around the rim that time before dropping in LeBron’s got four points in the quarter Oh you’ve got to run LeBron off the ball there Brown the pass to Joic Ar it in against Hatchima And the whistle blows It’s going to be on Luca Donic That’s foul number two for him Markin kicks to Gordon Tipped away and stolen by LeBlanc and he hits it and gets hacked on the play A three-point possibility if he can convert the free throw Well he can beat you in a lot of ways Very challenging to defend The Nuggets have made their free throws at a pretty good clip They’ve hit eight of 10 at the line for one Lloyd Markin That free throw good from Markin And coach you watch Markin he’s a perfect fit for today’s NBA isn’t he yeah A big guy who can shoot the ball Kevin And look he’s learned to put the ball on the floor go to the basket He’s a lot stronger than people give him credit for This guy can really play the game And a lethal score from pretty much every spot on the floor Marketing attracts a lot of defensive attention And a moment to look at the scoring approach in terms of where the points are coming from for Los Angeles Well their passing has been just exceptional and it’s opened up the floor for them on numerous occasions And also guys they pushed the ball and been able to score in transition trying to take advantage of playing in the open floor as often as possible [Applause] And Markin drops him both Los Angeles leading by seven Anich passes to Reeves Back to Donic Lets it go with the three And it’s Denver with the rebound Jokic has got 13 rebounds tonight going after Murray kicks the Joic A three-pointer off the mark And there have been some terrible shot choices here Kev That’s not a good look at all passes to Reeds [Applause] Aimura with a screen on Murray And it’s Hachim Murray in the corner And again no good by the Lakers Nuggets trailed by seven Arin passes to Mur Jokic with it Covered by Hayes Pass to Gordon It’s deflected Goes back up Linkers with the rebound Hatchim got his fourth rebound in this one Stolen by Markin And Markin throws it down I’m a big fan of how Marin runs the floor He’s got tremendous mobility and he knows how to create angles for the pass Hatchimal finds Donic Back to Himura and the dunk by Hatima Yeah his athleticism more than makes up for his lack of size Allows him to compete even against bigger guys Now here’s Murray Eight points for him Pass to Joic It’s up a three Is rebounded by Donic Lakers lead by seven And here is Hatchima Hayes with it Six on the shot clock The Lakers need to get a shot off here James no good and it’s Gordon with the ball He brings it up for Denver on the wing Murray shoots over Hima Murray good Murray’s got 10 points in the game and JJ Renick is called timeout Looking for a breather and maybe just one or two things to talk about [Music] Some changes for the Lakers Vanderbilts checked in for Hayes Cory and Vinnie Smith comes in for Himura And it’s connect in for LeBron [Applause] Lakers leading by five Reeves the pass to Donic Reeves with the screen for Donic from downtown It’s hauled in by Watson The Nuggets have gone seven to 15 from the field here in the third quarter Murray against Reeves Joic with his screen on Reeves Murray no good And Los Angeles guys shooting 48% from the field Not bad at all And putting that reach to work The Oaks just erasing that shot attempt Here’s pass to Joic over Finny Smith and it’s Joic missing Well it’s just not been his night He’s finding good looks but they’re just not falling Hon Smith passes to Reeds [Music] Back to Finny Smith hits the three-point lob 12 points for him Well it’s a three-point shooting league Guys like him are so important for Spacy Joic sets the screen from Joic rising up Joic so clever at taking advantage in that pick and roll Now Donic 15 points in the game Here’s Connect Reeves outside Some nice passing here by Los Angeles Shoots it up Connect No good Yeah I’m not sure that’s the look they want It’s tough working the mid-range area That one’s good The Laker lead is cut down to just four points in the bucket from Watson And even if you risk a foul the D has to play him tougher when he gets it that deep Yeah once he gets the ball in that spot Hell Pass has to be very poised to rotate over and close to making the defense pay for the lack coverage that time Here’s Westbrook Had a hand on it and so the balls out of bounds Vanderbilt touched it last Denver making a switch here AI’s checked in James checked in for Los Angeles Gabe Vincent comes in for Luca Donic pass to Westbrook There’s the three It’s good from long range Westbrook’s got six Remember play call by Westbrook making the right move at the right time to bust up the D and get that shot Here’s Vincent And just miss after miss right now Nuggets trail Here’s Naji No scoring in this one Whistle blows Bucket is good He’ll have a chance at the line to make it a three-point play And they have scraped and clawed to get back into this thing Just chipping away little by little and finally now taking the lead Markin He’s checked in for the Nuggets 15 at the line for Denver Russell Westbrook One shot And the free throw No good And one thing about Westbrook he does not have a quiet presence You know he’s out there at every moment And his production speaks volumes Yeah way to play in attack mode and get to the line Shooting from Los Angeles James taking two shots Take a break Take a break Two shots [Applause] No good on the free throw [Applause] He doesn’t get the second one Denver in the lead [Music] 103 left in the third quarter [Applause] And there’s the call It’s going to be an illegal screen and not the most common call you’ll see in the NBA but hard to argue that pick wasn’t illegal Yeah and that’s maybe something that should be called more We see a lot of moving screens in today’s NBA And that replay showed just how forceful that block was And boy did he get up quick to reject that shot That’s as fundamental as defense gets Here’s connect Five points in the game and that one drops Connect got seven points Well Connect is not just a shooter He’s got the strength to handle that interior contact Murray scanning the floor over Vincent Murray no good And here’s James He’ll bring it up for Los Angeles 13 points was their biggest lead in the game Here’s Vincent Two free throws coming up and they call the shooting fun [Applause] He made the only free throw attempt he had earlier in the game Uh you know when you look at his numbers this season he’s had a respectable number 77% Take a break Take a break Two shots [Applause] And the first one at the line is good Denver making a switch here And so Vincent nails both of them 19 seconds left here in the third quarter Here’s Trother From past the arc buries the long range jumper Got the game tied up here for the Nuggets How remarking getting it done for the Denver Nuggets That quarter had to take a lot out of him He racked up 12 points We’ll return shortly And with these teams locked in a very close contest this fourth quarter promises to be a good one The Lakers shooting 47% from the floor getting it done And on the court for the Lakers to start the fourth we’ve got connect James is out there with Gabe Benson Then there’s Maxi Cleba And it’s Vanderbilt in at the four [Applause] Denver shooting 47% from the floor Getting it done You get passes to Watson outside Westbrook Shot clock at six Shoots the three Vanderbilt with the block James the pass to Cleveland and it’s blocked Here’s Frother Pass to pick it High post Jordan He’s against Vanderbilt Westbrook kicks to Watson A three Pick it No good Picket’s gone two for five shooting 40% from the field Now Vincent pass to connect Back to Vincent three-pointer and it’s Denver with the rebound Just over a minute and a half play here in the four outside Westbrook Jordan sets the pick for Westbrook beyond the arc The Nuggets with another miss Here’s Connect He’s covered by Westbrook Pass to Clea for the three Westbrook pulls it in Rare you’ll see him miss such an open look Here’s Picket Jordan outside Now here’s Westbrook to take the lead And the basket is good And he’s got a chance here for one more at the line And if anything Westbrook gets more aggressive against contact inside He doubles his effort level in response And let’s take a moment guys to get your take on the scoring so far for Well they’ve been hitting threes at a high clip and the defense hasn’t done enough to challenge them at the line They need to close out and run them off the three And another place they’re finding success is in transition They’ve been working hard to get ahead of the defense and find those easy ones [Applause] Fourth quarter a point We’re about 2 and 1/2 minutes through it right now And JJ Reick calls timeout here He’s not taking any chances and wants to huddle him up right away [Music] is your high school and live here Get on your [Applause] Heat Heat [Applause] [Applause] It’s time now to hear from from our Hall of Fame reporter David Aldrich What’s the latest David hey guys JJ Reick’s message with his team was simple Now with this game up for grabs coach told his guys to think positive He said “We know this game is ours fellas We’ve earned it I need you to show me right now that you want this Can they get it done we’ll see guys.” Okay David Thanks Just a little under two and a half minutes have passed now here in the fourth got a piece of it and that’s out of bounds The Lakers will retain possessions And now let’s take a look again at that incredible rejection And that is a huge block given how close this game is A stop like that was right on point And here is Los Angeles now Nothing doing offensively yet for them in the fourth Pass to James Krills the three-pointer James has got it all tied up now for the Lakers And you like to see that from Connect Found the man with a better look outside Westbrook [Applause] No good on that one Great D that time from James with it pass to connect back to Vincent Just five on the clock and the officials have called the illegal screen right there Well that one stinks in a game where every possession counts He just gave one away Catching up on the changes for Los Angeles Aimura comes in for Vanderbilt and James subbed in for connect Here’s Picket [Music] Well if you’re just tuning in welcome We’ve got about three and a half minutes gone here in the fourth quarter And again Denver no good And so it’s Hatchima who brings up the ball for LA They’ve played a great fourth quarter defensive only three points Nuggets have gone just one of six from the field to start the fourth quarter A bit of a slowdown for them right now Inside it’s good Now he’s shooting six for seven Yeah nothing too fancy Just getting the job done when they need to make every possession count James the pass to Hatchimal [Applause] James against Gordon on the wing James to the right side Here’s Hatchima Good And the assist goes to James Hachimura has got 22 Just solid with the jump shot Hachimura helps your offense in a number of ways In that case spacing the floor and it goes out of bounds That one is off Cleveland The Nuggets moving the ball around Jordan with a screen on James Clock at four Here’s Brown And right on target with the switch Brown’s got four points in the quarter Boy right down to the wire here Still anyone’s ball game Yeah And after all the energy both sides have expended Both teams still hungry for And that one’s good Hatimar And guys he’s been a one-man air raid coming at them time and time again Well what I love about his three-point shooting is the spacing that he’s adding It makes things a lot easier for everyone else And here is marketing after Ruy Hashimura gets his shot to go from deep James up top pass to LeBron Benson with it Fires for three Second chance effort and is blocked by Gordon No I wouldn’t test Gordon with that vertical and limb Please try someone else Here’s the three Hits it from three-point range and the Nuggets lead by one What a time for him to step up Big three right there Well guys who can make big shots at the end of games have become a necessity Here’s Vincent Hatimuro the screen [Music] Vincent misses Denver’s gotten some tough luck from three-point range In the fourth quarter they’ve hit just one of six from deep outside Markin and a miss there on the triple Yeah there’s no reason for the defense to get out on him right now Just let him keep taking that shot until he shows them he’s going to knock it down Now here’s James to the inside Here’s Hatchima And that one’s drained from the low block Hatchima’s got 27 points You have to push Himaura out of there if you’re the defense He’s a real problem on the interior Jordan sets the screen for Gordon Takes the three The rebound by James James has got his fourth rebound in this one Pass to James How Vincent to the middle Here’s Hatchima Head shot off Excellent D there from Arinet Here’s Brown Here’s Picket And here is Markin And here is Jordan Leave it defending Just four to shoot from deep three-point land Pick it No good The Lakers in the lead Pass to Hatchima on the wing James and looks like the illegal pick was set Yep that’s right That’ll get their attention And guys point of emphasis for the league is to really crack down on illegal screens Yeah And yet we still see it a lot It’s a tough thing to pull Always good to get another look at a terrific defensive play And in a close game blocks like that are so clutch and that could be a real difference maker here tonight Catching up on the changes for Los Angeles Dorian Finny Smith checked in for Maxi Clebup Austin Reeves comes in for James and Vic is subbed in for Vincent And there’s an aggression to Murray’s game Willing to battle there for the bucket Murray against Reeves [Applause] And he could not get that one to go Out of contact and he’ll go to the line for two It’s going to be on Joic First team down the line for the leaders Re two shots Take a break Take a break Two shots And the first one drops He’s perfect from the line this time And Murray’s got the ball here for Denver Pass to Brown Now here’s Markin [Applause] Joic with the screen on Himura Pocket six Good on the triple Markin’s got 15 points here in the second half A big boost to their chemistry when Markin is operating the pick and roll that well Teams need their bigs to master that set And here’s Donic from the arc Trains the three-pointer How about the poise from Donic right there he ups the antie when it’s a critical possession here in the game Timeout called Nuggets All right man Let’s get up and get loud and welcome to show nothing Everybody give it up for Here’s Brown Guarded by Donic Here’s Murray Kitchim Murray grabs the miss Hatachi Murz got his sixth rebound on the night with the drive and it’s blocked by Gordon Pass to Brown Denver passing it around Joic sets the screen for Markin That shot off the mark Los Angeles has gone over and over to the three-point shot in the fourth quarter Four of nine [Applause] outside back to Reeves with a screen on Yic Five on the clock and it’s sent back by Joic There’s Minan Good Nice job down low Mining’s got five points in the court And guys here in the fourth quarter still a close game Instant classic fellas This one could come right down to the next shot Now here’s Donic Here’s Finny Smith and it’s sent back by Joic It’s going to be out of bounds Los Angeles will retain possession And we have to take another glance at that powerful rejection Quick thinking pays off big What a block [Applause] 127 left in the fourth quarter Here’s Donic It’s hauled in by the Nuggets Yic has got 15 rebounds here tonight A pass to Gordon And there’s the bucket for Mark And now it’s a three-point Nugget lead And you can trust an efficient shooter by Martin in the play He’s going to get a good look And here’s Tossic from the AR rebound by the Nuggets High post working on Vinnie Smith and it’s a challenge trying to guard Yic from there Adept at making you foul him on the way up [Applause] He hits the first one and that gives him a four-point cushion [Applause] [Music] Second one is good in both at the line It’s a five-point game Great work at the line under pressure They’re that much closer to putting this game away And JJ Reick calls timeout here The magnitude at this juncture in the game clearly warranting a timeout [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] 52 seconds left to play here in the fourth Donic kicks to finish Smith Reeves outside and the Lakers with another miss And they double up Harkin And now we’ve got the intentional foul at the line for two shots So the first one drops and that increases their lead to six And the second free throw no good A tough break there Shot clock and game clock separated by less than 6 seconds Donic kicks to Hatchima [Applause] Outside and he gets the whistle Two free throws coming up Second team at the line for the Lakers Two shots Take a break Take a break Two shots [Applause] First free throw is good And that brings them within five [Applause] [Music] Oh free throws good from Donic And now an intentional foul They need the ball back as soon as possible That’s right No other option but to foul and hope for some missoul at the line for Denver Taking two shots [Applause] gets the first and that puts them up by five and so he drops them both It’s a 6-1 ball game Great composure there Calmly knocks them down to put this game out of reach Los Angeles calls timeout They’re trailing by six What do you think coach’s focus is going to be here they need a quick basket here Yeah and if they can get a decent look from three that’s the shot to take Not a lot of time to work with Three from the inbound Offensive rebound Reeves outside Jacks up a three It’s money from deep Timeout called Nuggets [Applause] What time is it it’s time Here’s Murray And there’s the intentional foul No choice but to stop the clock here No choice but to foul there but but he’s probably the last guy you want to see on the line [Applause] And he misses the first one Boy he wanted that one to fall So neither attempt will fall that time and they need to stop the clock So there’s a foul Man it took forever for them to commit that foul I don’t know why they didn’t do it right away Those are precious seconds Nicole Yankees taking two shots He drops the first one and that gives them a four-point cushion and he hits both free throws here So now it’s a five-point game So we see Denver hit the wheel here It was a fantastic ball game and they did a great job making sure it didn’t get away from them late Yeah I mean they faced some challenges but really held firm when they needed to on both ends and just effective in terms of coming away with this win And now we’ll send it over to David Aldridge who is standing by Courtzside David thanks very much Jamal A gritty game tonight What did it take to get the win we did a good job just all the way through even though we had a bad start defensively Uh we were able to pick it up and you know guys were able to score You know I mean once we got defense in the game we were able to get out and run Everybody got some trust Well you were a good unit when it mattered and it led to the win Congrats Back to you David Thank you as always and that’ll wrap it up folks So now for Greg Anthony Stan Van Gundy and David Aldridge This is Kevin Harland saying

What if Lauri Markkanen got traded to the Denver Nuggets?

Now that 2K redeemed themselves with NBA 2K25 with such amazing changes with the gameplay, realistic player movements, better graphics (if not then better than the previous ones) better commentary and many more. I am completely amazed NBA 2K25 but I’m pretty sure some of you are just like me that is not very pleased and contented with the game, so down below I will have my wish list for the upcoming NBA 2K26.

MY WISH LIST FOR NBA 2K26:
1. More Realistic Graphics and Movements (they did well with the player signature etc)
2. Realistic Players, Coaches and Fans Reaction. (maybe too much to ask for every play but maybe in some amazing plays like a buzzer beater or a poster staring down someone and gets a technical just like how today’s NBA)
3. Personal commentators for each teams + playoffs or finals. (is it too much to ask?)
4. Make the commentators feel more alive commentating for each plays like what WWE 2K22 did.
5. Make my career story more interesting and longer.

Well if you have something to add to our wish list feel free to comment down below!

This is one of the most realistic gameplay simulation videos out there! As I try to edit each player’s tendencies, coach settings, game sliders team plays, what jersey they will wear in today’s matchup, injury updates whether they play or not, rotations and many more to achieve the most realistic gameplay. Please like the video and subscribe to my channel.

Mods used:
1. Aka Court Lighting
2. K4RL Custom Reshade
3. Lagoa Global
4. Monja Jersey Pysics
5. Mahmood/Vetmin Scoreboard

PC Specs:
Ryzen 7 5700x
RX 7800 XT
32GB RAM

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