Basketball: Hachimura scores 21 but Nuggets put Lakers in 2-game hole

Rui Hachimura continued his stellar play in the NBA’s Western Conference finals Thursday, but his Los Angeles Lakers were unable to square the series as the Denver Nuggets claimed a 108-103 victory and a 2-0 lead.

Hachimura contributed 21 points, backing up from his 17-point Game 1 performance, on 80 percent from the floor, but Los Angeles’ stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis struggled, scoring just 22 and 18 points, respectively, on a combined 13-for-34 shooting at Denver’s Ball Arena.

Hachimura did the bulk of his work in the first half, scoring 17 points in 14 minutes on a perfect 7-for-7 ...