Greetings, basketball enthusiasts! The new NBA season has arrived, and one of the marquee matchups on Tuesday’s opening night features the Los Angeles Lakers visiting Ball Arena to take on the Denver Nuggets.
These two teams have crossed paths twice in the Western Conference finals over the past four years. In 2020, the Lakers bested the Nuggets in five games on their way to capturing their first title since 2010. However, in last year’s playoffs, the Nuggets swept the Lakers en route to securing their franchise’s first championship.
It’s worth noting that even though the Nuggets swept the series, three of those four games were decided by six points or less, with the series finale having just a two-point margin.
The Lakers have added several new faces to their roster during the offseason, including Cam Reddish, Taurean Prince, Christian Wood, and Gabe Vincent. The Los Angeles Lakers are banking on this added depth to propel them on another deep postseason run.
Ironically, the Nuggets will be receiving their championship rings on opening night, serving as a reminder to the Lakers that they are facing the team that swept them on their path to lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy.
In their six-game preseason campaign, the Lakers concluded with a 2-4 record after winning two of their first three contests. Notably, they secured a 123-100 victory over the Phoenix Suns, outscoring them by a 35-15 margin. LeBron James led the scoring for Los Angeles with 19 points on 6-for-12 shooting, along with six rebounds and three assists. Anthony Davis contributed 15 points and six blocked shots.
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The Nuggets won three out of five preseason games. In their most recent game, they defeated the LA Clippers 103-90. The teams were tied at 52 at halftime, but Denver held Los Angeles to just 18 and 19 points in the third and fourth quarters. Nikola Jokic showed early-season form, finishing with 25 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists. His consistent ability to deliver such performances has earned him the league’s Most Valuable Player title twice in the past three seasons.
