LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers’ late-season transformation is one of this NBA season’s best stories, but LeBron James and his teammates finally appear to be running out of steam in the Western Conference finals. After looking weary and mistake-prone in Denver during their first back-to-back losses in over two months, the Lakers face a must-win Game 3. Los Angeles has been on a prolonged roll ever since the trade deadline, going 27-12 while surging into the playoff picture, winning a play-in game and knocking out two higher-seeded opponents. That roll has finally been slowed by Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and the respect-hungry Nuggets.
