Darvin Ham and his Lakers team received a sucker punch in the dying seconds of the first play-off round Game 2 against the Nuggets. Right before the buzzer sounded, Jamal Murray landed the jab with his off-balanced fadeaway with less than a second on the clock.
While the Nuggets players and the crowd went nuts at the Ball Arena, Darvin Ham did not know where to look. Talking about the stinging loss after the game, Ham said, “It stings. Remember this feeling as we go back to LA. We need to give them this feeling in Game 3.”
"It stings. Remember this feeling as we go back to LA. We need to give them this feeling in Game 3.”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 23, 2024
— Darvin Ham 🗣️
(via @jovanbuha) pic.twitter.com/RAgJrwSkI8
The Lakers were leading by 20 points in the third quarter, but Denver fought back to take the game and established a 2-0 lead in the series. While Jokic again led the scoring for the Nuggets, Murray stole the show at the death. It is uncertain if the Los Angeles team will be able to rally back in the series or not, but there is some surety about Darvin Ham’s future with the franchise.
Darvin Ham reportedly set for Lakers return next season
After another stuttering regular season, questions were raised about Darvin Ham’s future with the Lakers. From rumors of rifts with players to backing the franchise’s shortcomings with bizarre reasoning, there was a lot for the Lakers nation to be worried about. But now, there are indications about who will be in the LAL hot seat next season.
According to Lakers insider Anthony F. Irwin, Darvin Ham is likely to return for the 2024-25 season. Not only that, if the reports are true, losing to the Nuggets will not affect the future decided for Ham.
Darvin Ham is likely set to return as the Lakers' coach next year, even with a potential early playoff exit, per @AnthonyIrwinLA pic.twitter.com/fVdoGsj8SF
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 22, 2024
Several key factors played a part in the reported decision. One being the 50-year-old not getting a fully fit squad at his disposal. Secondly, the firing might question the credibility of GM Rob Pelinka, who fired Frank Vogel last season to hire Darvin Ham.
On top of that, the former Bucks assistant coach has two years remaining on his contract, and it would cost somewhere around $8 million to dismiss him, which the Lakers management are not keen to splurge on.
The Lakers will be welcoming the Nuggets to the Crypto.com Arena on Thursday, aiming to cut the deficit. Only time will tell if keeping Darvin Ham despite a sweep from the Nuggets will come to bite back, or he can solidify his future with a deep play-off run.
