Lakers tumble to Nuggets

DENVER — Coach Phil Jackson called the Lakers’ 90-79 loss to the Denver Nuggets tonight “a garbage game,” and who are we to argue his point? The Lakers scored a season-low for points.

The Lakers narrowly missed setting a franchise record for their lowest shooting percentage. They checked in at 29.8 percent, avoiding a dubious mark of distinction only after Jordan Farmar made a layup in the closing seconds. They were at 29 percent before Farmar’s bucket. The club record of 29.4 percent was set against the Utah Jazz on Nov. 3, 2004.

Otherwise, the Lakers’ first loss since Feb. 11 was a game to forget. They lost for the first time in seven games. What’s more, their five-game winning streak against the Nuggets also came to an end. Actually, it was a nine-game streak if you count playoff games.

“That was just one of those games,” Jackson said. “We didn’t want to lose it, but we didn’t have it. Obviously, we don’t shoot that way every night. You’ve got to give credit to the defense of your opponent, but we just didn’t shoot the ball very well.”

When someone asked Derek Fisher if fatigue played a role in the Lakers’ lackluster play, the veteran point guard seemed unsure what to say. The Lakers’ lack of energy was evident from the start. They arrived at their hotel around 4 a.m. after defeating the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night at Staples Center.

“I don’t know, I guess so,” Fisher said. “I don’t know whether it was getting in late or early or whatever you want to call it. If anything, it was a combination of the entire week. That wasn’t our team, for sure. The Nuggets played better than we did.”