Los Angeles Lakers (41-25) vs. Nuggets (41-26) | Game 67 of 82
WHERE TO WATCH AND WHAT TIME
Date: Saturday, March 14
Tip-off: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Crypto.com Arena — Los Angeles, Calif.
TV: ABC
Radio: ESPN LA 710 / 1330 KWKW
GAME PREVIEW
The Lakers enter tonight’s matchup against the Nuggets looking to push their win streak to five games.
Los Angeles is coming off a 142-130 win over the Bulls on Thursday, where Luka Dončić exploded for a 51-point triple-double.
It was his first 50-point game as a Laker and eighth triple-double of the season as the Slovenian continues to push the MVP conversation narrative, a topic coach JJ Redick said he should more involved in.
"He's playing as well as anyone right now, and that's not getting talked about enough, but I'm going to talk about it," Redick said after their win over Chicago.
Over their last eight games, the Lakers have arguably played their best basketball of the season, finding their rhythm on both ends of the floor.
In that eight-game span, they have had the 2nd-rated offense (123.3) and 7th-rated defense (109.8) while allowing the lowest 3-pointers (10) and 3-point percentage (29%) to opponents.
LeBron James returned from a three-game absence against the Bulls, scoring 18 points in 33 minutes.
This matchup marks the third meeting between the teams this season.
WHY THIS GAME HAS MORE IMPORTANCE
With the regular season entering its final stretch, the Lakers (41-25) are currently No. 4 in the Western Conference standings.
A win tonight would push them to No. 3 in the West ahead of the Houston Rockets, who the Lakers play back-to-back times next on the road.
KEY MATCHUP
The Lakers will have a tough task against Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray.
The Lakers' bigs are in for a long game against Jokic, who slices through every part of teams' defenses in different ways, and Murray just hates that Lakers logo.
Jokic is averaging a triple-double this season in another MVP-like season at 28.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists, while you should anticipate an A game night from Murray, as he always does against the Lakers.
Murray is averaging 25.7 points and 7.1 assists per game.
If the Lakers can limit the players around those two, it could swing the momentum.
WHAT TO AVOID
The Lakers need to avoid a slow start.
In their previous matchup against Denver, the Lakers started 11-0 after a brutal, low-energy first quarter. Something they need to avoid in L.A. with teams eager to play their best with the brighter lights.
OPPONENT OUTLOOK
The Nuggets enter tonight’s game with a 41-26 record, 23-12 on the road, and currently sit at No. 5 in the Western Conference.
They are coming off a five-point win over the Spurs in San Antonio on Thursday behind a 39-point outing from Murray.
NOTABLE OPPONENT RANKS AMONG THE NBA
The Nuggets currently rank:
No. 1 in offensive rating (120.4)
No. 21 in defensive rating (116.2)
Other rankings:
Points — No. 1 (120.6)
FG% — No. 2 (49.3%)
Assists — No. 9 (28.1)
3PM — No. 12 (13.7)
3P% — No. 1 (39.1%)
SEASON SERIES
Game 1 — Lakers 115-107 win in Denver on Jan 20
Game 2 — Lakers 120-113 loss in Denver on March 5
STATS TO WATCH
LeBron James is 14 rebounds away from reaching 12k rebounds all-time. He sits at 11,986, which ranks him 23rd all-time.
Nikola Jokic has had a triple-double in his past three games as he leads the NBA in total triple-doubles this season with 26.
INJURY REPORT
Lakers:
Jaxson Hayes (back soreness): PROBABLE
Maxi Kleber (back strain): OUT
Nuggets:
Jamal Murray (ankle sprain): Probable (Don’t see him not playing)
Aaron Gordon (hamstring): Probable
Peyton Watson: Out
THREADS FOR THE GAME
The Lakers will wear their iconic gold uniforms, while the Nuggets will wear their white association edition uniforms.
NEXT MATCHUP
The Lakers now head to a six-game road trip, facing the Houston Rockets in their next two games. They will play their next home game on March 27 against the Brooklyn Nets.