Published 16:50 IST, August 11th 2020
Kyle Kuzma executes Frank Vogel's final play to perfection as Lakers bag last-gap win
Kyle Kuzma executed coach Frank Vogel's last-minute play to perfection handing Los Angeles Lakers a hard-fought win over the Denver Nuggets.
Los Angeles Lakers had a Kyle Kuzma buzzer-beater to thank after his late, late three-pointer sealed a win against the Denver Nuggets. Frank Vogel's side had their task cut out in the Lakers vs Nuggets clash and needed a moment of brilliance from Kuzma to bag a win. The 25-year-old has been time and again criticised for his erratic offensive play but delivered in a crunch moment helping his side edge past in the Lakers vs Nuggets contest.
Frank Vogel sets up Kyle Kuzma buzzer-beater during Lakers vs Nuggets
In a video doing the rounds on Twitter, Frank Vogel can be seen explaining to his side the final play in the build-up to the Kyle Kuzma buzzer-beater. Vogel had called for a time-out with 4.5 seconds on the clock in the Lakers vs Nuggets game which was tied at 121 apiece. With the result at stake, Lakers generally hand LeBron James and Anthony Davis the game-winning shot, however, the new play saw Vogel hand Kyle Kuzma the opportunity. The move started with a pass to Davis with LeBron as a decoy, as Kyle Kuzma slipped to the corner for a shot over Denver rookie Bol Bol.
The 25-year-old executed the play to perfection to seal the win for Frank Vogel's side. The move had been used only once before by the Lakers, with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope taking the game-winning shot against the Phoenix Suns. The Kyle Kuzma buzzer-beater will go some way to silence his critics who have slammed him for not coming up with the goods during crunch situations. The 25-year-old has time and again promised this season that he can be a reliable third scorer for the Lakers, behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
A well-oiled Nuggets outfit made things difficult for LeBron James and co in the bubble on Monday. Lakers, who are top of the Western Conference NBA standings have struggled to click as an offensive unit since the Florida restart. However, they clicked on Monday night, with LeBron James back to his best while Davis provided solid support with some crucial plays. Kyle Kuzma chipped in with points throughout the game and has shown Vogel at the bubble that he can be a good asset whenever drafted into that starting lineup. The Lakers will face off against the Sacramento Kings in the last of their eight seeding games, while the Nuggets will take on the Los Angeles Clippers.
(Image Courtesy: Kyle Kuzma Instagram)
Updated 16:50 IST, August 11th 2020