LeBron James Confident Despite Lakers Game 2 Loss to Nuggets

• LeBron James is optimistic despite the Lakers going 0-2 down in the conference finals against the Denver Nuggets
• The Lakers narrowly lost 108-103 but play the next two games at home, where they're undefeated in the playoffs this season
• James had a rough game as he missed a wide-open dunk and a layup

LeBron James is not worried after the Los Angeles Lakers went 0-2 down in the Western Conference finals against the Denver Nuggets.

The Lakers looked like they would steal Game 2, but costly mistakes down the stretch saw them narrowly lose 108-103.

The 38-year-old finished with 22 points on 9-for-19 shooting, 10 assists, 9 rebounds, and 4 steals in 40 minutes. However, he missed all six of his three-point attempts.

The 2020 NBA champions led by as many as 11 in the third quarter, but the hosts erased that deficit to take a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Lakers mounted a comeback, but James and Anthony Davis missed key shots that would've changed the outcome of the game.

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Davis missed a three with just over three minutes remaining and then missed another one with 40.5 left that could've cut the deficit to one. The crucial moment came when James missed a layup with 26.4 seconds remaining that could have cut the deficit to two, per CBS Sports.

James reacts to Game 2 loss

Despite a rough game, the 20-year veteran is positive they'll improve in Games 3 and 4, which are in Los Angeles.

"I think we improved from Game 1 to Game 2," said James. "And if we can do the same thing from Game 2 to Game 3, we put ourselves in a position to win," via ESPN.

The Lakers are 7-0 at Crypto.com Arena so far this postseason, including the play-in game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

After scoring 40 points in Game 2, Davis had 18 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks. He shot 4-of-15 from the field.

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"I liked all the looks that I got today," Davis said. "Just a lot of them were short.

James added his team will have to play with the same desperation as Game 2.

"We still got to play with the same desperation as we did tonight," James said. "We came out with an L but doesn't give us any more comfort. We can't go into any postseason game with comfort, just because you either haven't lost at home or you're going back home."

James has come back from 2-0 down to win the series in the conference finals in 2007 and 2018. Teams have a 6-56 series record all-time when 0-2 down in the conference finals.

Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 37 points, 23 of them in the fourth quarter, while Nikola Jokić put up 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 12 assists, his 13th triple-double in the playoffs, per the Athletic.

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Fans blast LeBron James

Sports Brief earlier reported on James getting roasted on social media for his underwhelming performance in Game 2 against the Nuggets.

James shot 9 of 19 from the floor, including 0 for 6 from deep. That performance still wasn’t enough to please the fans, who blasted him on social media for missing several easy baskets in Game 2.

Fans made fun of James after he missed a layup and blew a dunk in the first half.