Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers

When the Denver Nuggets host the Los Angeles Lakers at the Ball Arena on Sunday morning, they will be looking to win the NBA for the tenth time in a row.

The visitors have been excellent over the past nine games and now have the chance to win eight of ten, even if they are not as good as their hosts.
The Denver Nuggets were in full swing with eight straight wins, so the All-Star break could not have come at a worse time. However, they quickly found their rhythm again in Friday's 129-115 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

Michael Malone's team had a slim lead going into the fourth quarter after a competitive first thirty-six minutes of play, but they surged away in the closing seconds to win handily at home.

Jamal Murray led the Nuggets in scoring with a massive 34 points on 12-18 shooting from the field, including 7-10 from three-point range. Nikola Jokic had another incredible effort with 29 points, 17 rebounds, and nine assists.

The Nuggets are now in second place in the Western Conference rankings after improving their season record to 37-19, albeit they are still far behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are now leading the conference.

Shortly after completing their biggest off-season move with the acquisition of Luka Doncic, the Los Angeles Lakers began their campaign with a win over the Utah Jazz in Doncic's debut. However, they faced setbacks in their next two games, falling to the same Jazz team and the Charlotte Hornets. Doncic, still regaining his rhythm after recovering from a calf injury, was rested for the Lakers' matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. The team managed to secure a 110-102 victory at the Moda Center, despite a challenging third quarter that saw their early 13-point lead shrink to just one point heading into the final period. The Lakers ultimately turned up the intensity to stifle any hopes of a Blazers comeback.

LeBron James, making history as the first 40-year-old in the NBA to record multiple 40-point games, delivered a stellar performance, supported by Austin Reaves, who contributed 32 points. Together, the duo accounted for 65% of the Lakers' total points. Looking ahead, the Lakers aim to conclude their brief road trip on a positive note before returning home for a six-game homestand. They will face the Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers (twice), New Orleans Pelicans, and New York Knicks in front of their home crowd.

Due to injury management during the last game against the Portland Trail Blazers, point guard Luka Doncic was given a break; however, he may be able to play in this one.

Maxi Kleber, Doncic's former Mavericks teammate, will undoubtedly miss the road game, though, as he had surgery on his right foot earlier this month.

Jarred Vanderbilt, who has battled ailments for significant portions of the current season, is a major doubt to play here as the Lakers continue to monitor his involvement.

After suffering a sprain to his right knee, Payton Watson will be assessed again in the following two weeks to see whether he is ready to play again.