This week’s NBA game of the week will be Lebron’s Lakers attempting to get back on track with a win over the undefeated Nuggets.
DENVER NUGGETS (4-0) @ LOS ANGELES LAKERS (0-3)
Friday, Oct. 26, 12:30pm ET. Staples Center. Los Angeles, CA (21,000)
Two Western Conference playoff contenders meet this Friday in what’s been an unexpected start to the season for both sides.
The Los Angeles Lakers have lost their first three games of the season. While those losses were narrow and against tough competition, Lebron James would’ve been hoping for a better start with his new mix of ‘tweeners and veterans.
The Lakers will get some reprieve when they face the Phoenix Suns a day before. Assuming the Lakers win in Phoenix, the match against Denver will still be must-win. Making the Lakers-Lebron situation even more interesting is the recent ‘fight night’ in Houston resulting in the suspension of Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo – who both remain suspended for this game. Lebron will also be looking to bounce-back from a disappointing over-time loss to the San Antonio Spurs, where he missed two clutch free-throws to ice the game.
The Denver Nuggets will be feeling more confident than their opponent on Friday. Even though the Nuggets were considered by many to be a serious playoff contender going into the season, their 4-0 start has them leading the Western conference and exceeding expectations. They were especially impressive after beating the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Monday.
The Nuggets currently rank as the best defensive unit in the game, largely due to their length and athleticism at all positions. But it’s the offensive dominance of big-man Nikola Jokic that has fans excited. He leads his team in points, rebounds, and assists – and recorded a triple-double without missing a shot against the Suns – unique achievements for any player, let alone a 23-year-old centre.
Jokic presents a glaring mismatch for the Lakers. With the Denver offence running through the star big-man, the Lakers only have one player that can defend him – JaVale McGee. On his day, JaVale is one of the most underrated defensive centres in the game. Unfortunately, the Lakers typically play a small ball line-up and don’t carry a backup centre. JaVale’s stamina, and the Lakers ability to guard the perimeter will be key.
The Lakers hold the all-time regular season edge in this match, with 104 wins vs. the Nuggets 68 wins. But since 2017, they share three wins each head-to-head.
Season Stats
| 2018 Regular Season | Denver Nuggets | Lakers |
| Record | (4-0) | (0-3) |
| Points | 113.0 | 125.3 |
| Rebounds | 51.5 | 47.3 |
| Assists | 25.0 | 28.0 |
| Blocks | 5.5 | 7.33 |
| Steals | 10.0 | 7.67 |
| Turnovers | 19.6 | 20.7 |
| 2PT Shot % | 50.3 | 59.8 |
| 3PT Shot % | 27.7 | 28.7 |
| Total Offensive Rank | 22nd | 3rd |
| Total Defensive Rank | 1st | 30th (last) |
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