The Lakers Game 2 loss versus the Denver Nuggets was their second-largest blown lead in a playoff game since 1997.

Despite the devastation of the defeat, Austin Reaves insisted it was no bigger than any other playoff loss.

“To me, a loss is a loss,” Reaves said after Game 2. “Obviously, giving up a 20-point lead in the third quarter is frustrating but, at the end of the day, it doesn’t change the fact that we lost. We’re down 0-2 and we’re going back to LA to try to protect our home court to try to tie this up at 2-2. You can’t really, at this point, dwell on what’s happened. You have to move past it and buckle down and figure out what you can do to, like I said, sustain those leads we’ve been able to get ahold of.”

The consensus among other Lakers players and the staff has been focusing on controlling what they can control. Darvin Ham discussed the team finishing games better and the Lakers immediately turning their focus to Game 3.

The physical recovery from two road games in Denver’s high-altitude environment is known. The mental recovery after two crushing defeats that are part of a ten-game losing streak to a team is not.

Luckily, the Lakers have an extra day of rest between games, so they can practice and tighten up the mental and physical aspects of the game.

These losses are frustrating, but this series isn’t over. It’s not the first to two, it’s the first to four. If the Lakers can protect their home court, they can not only even the series this weekend but they can ensure there’s, at minimum, a Game 6 in L.A.

This was always going to be a tough battle, given the Lakers’ history with these Nuggets. Dropping games you should’ve won only makes it more difficult. However, LeBron James-led teams have pulled off the improbable before, like coming back down 3-1 in a series.

So, why can’t these Lakers surprise us and make a series out of this?