The Los Angeles Lakers know they have to find 48 minutes of two-way excellence if they are going to even their first round series with the defending champion Denver Nuggets, as they saw Game 1 slip away after a strong start.

However, a strong start never hurts the cause, and similarly to the opener the Lakers got off on the right foot in Game 2, taking a quick 15-9 lead in the first 5.5 minutes thanks to some great play on both ends of the floor. D’Angelo Russell shook off his 1-of-9 night from three on Saturday to hit three quick threes, giving the Lakers a needed boost around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.