Following two wins, the Denver Nuggets are going on the road tonight to face off against the Los Angeles Lakers to try and keep the Lakers winless. The two teams faced off against each other last Wednesday night — in which the Nuggets won by 11 points.
The Nuggets have started getting some footing under them, being 4-1 in their last 5 games. The Lakers, on the other hand, have yet to get a win; being 0-5 on the season. The Nuggets will have to come out with the same energy they did against the Jazz. The Lakers will probably be desperate for a win, and the Nuggets shouldn’t be the team to give them that.
The Basics
Who: Denver Nuggets (4-2) @ Los Angeles Lakers (0-5)
When: 7:30 p.m. MST
Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
How to Watch/Listen: Altitude TV, NBA League Pass for the non-Denver market. Also on 92.5 FM KKSE Altitude Sports Radio
Rival Blog: Silver Screen and Roll
Expected Starting Lineups:
Nuggets: Jamal Murray (PG), Bruce Brown (SG), Michael Porter Jr. (SF), Aaron Gordon (PF), and Nikola Jokić (C)
Lakers: Patrick Beverly (PG), Lonnie Walker IV (SG), Troy Brown Jr. (SF), LeBron James (PF), and Damian Jones (C)
Injuries:
DEN – Kentavious Caldwell Pope — Questionable (Left Ankle Sprain), Davon Reed — Questionable (Personal Reasons), Collin Gillespie — Out (Leg)
LAL – Dennis Schroeder — Out (Thumb), Thomas Bryant — Out (Thumb), Cole Swider — Out, Anthony Davis — Questionable (Back), Juan Toscano-Anderson — Questionable (Ankle), LeBron James — Probable (Foot)
What to Watch For
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All members of the Nuggets’ big three are playing tonight and that alone should be enough. Jamal Murray is getting more comfortable with every game he plays, Michael Porter Jr. has been lights out this season, and Nikola Jokic is, well, Nikola Jokic. The three of them on the court together is poetry on the hardwood.
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Nuggets fans have also seen the bench get better as the season has gone on. In large part due to new offseason additions Christian Braun and Bruce Brown. B&B are a dynamic defensive duo that make opposing teams work for their baskets. The two of them have something that the Nuggets had missed for a long time, but they have improved the Nuggets perimeter defense — even if the stats don’t show it quite yet.
Add on Bones’ game against the Jazz — the bench may be on the up and up. Bones won’t drop seven 3 pointers every game, but if he can start shooting better it opens a lot up for the bench in general.
