The Los Angeles Lakers will be hoping that the addition of Luka Doncic (77) will help address their woeful record against the Denver Nuggets. The NBA Western Conference rivals face off on Feb 22.
The Los Angeles Lakers will be hoping that the addition of Luka Doncic (77) will help address their woeful record against the Denver Nuggets. The NBA Western Conference rivals face off on Feb
DENVER – The Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets have forged a rivalry through their play-off matchups, but the National Basketball Association (NBA) showdowns have been one-sided.
Denver have won 13 of the last 14 meetings dating back to January 2023, including the last five in the regular season, and the Nuggets will try to extend that streak on Feb 22 (Feb 23, Singapore time) when they host Los Angeles.
The Lakers have a new weapon to try to stop their slide against Denver. Feb 21 likely will be Luka Doncic’s first game against the Nuggets since he was traded from Dallas on Feb 2. Doncic has played in three games since coming to Los Angeles but sat out a 110-102 win at the Portland Trail Blazers on Feb 20.
Doncic is expected to play in the second meeting between the teams this season. Denver won the first game 127-102 on Nov 23, but the Lakers are a different team now.
Since a home loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Jan 13, they have won 13 of 17 and moved within three games of the Nuggets, who currently hold the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and have won nine straight games.
Even with Doncic on the roster, LeBron James is the catalyst for Los Angeles. He scored 40 points in the win over the Trail Blazers, becoming the first player in NBA history to score 40 or more points twice after turning 40.
“I still love the game, and I still got a lot to give to the game, to give to my teammates, to give to this league for while I’m here,” James said.
“I don’t have much time left. So while I’m here today in this time, I’m going to try to give what I got when I’m out on the floor.”
James leads the Lakers at 24.7 points a game, followed by Austin Reaves (19.1). Doncic is averaging 14.7 points in his three games with Los Angeles and 26.5 in 25 total games this season.
Doncic has bolstered the Los Angeles backcourt, but dealing Anthony Davis to the Mavericks leaves the Lakers vulnerable against big men, and Denver have the best in the league in Nikola Jokic.
Jokic leads the Nuggets in scoring (29.7 points), rebounding (12.7) and assists (10.2), which are all top three in the NBA.
Jamal Murray is second on the Nuggets in scoring at 21.3 points a game, Michael Porter Jr is third at 18.7 and Christian Braun is averaging 14.9.
Murray’s scoring is up over the last 10 games, after a career-high 55 points against Portland on Feb 12 and is averaging 27.8 in nine games since Jan 29. His strong play is one reason Denver are in search of their first 10-game winning streak in coach Michael Malone’s tenure.
The streak has catapulted the Nuggets to near the top of the Western Conference with 26 games remaining.
“No matter who you play in the West, man, it’s going to be a dogfight,” Malone said.
“Think about the teams that are outside the play-in right now. … There’s no, like, ‘Let’s get this seed so we can play this team.’ OK. Careful what you wish for.”
In NBA action on Feb 21, Donovan Mitchell scored 17 of his 27 points in the second quarter and Evan Mobley finished with 21 points, fuelling the host Cleveland Cavaliers to a dominant 142-105 victory over the New York Knicks in a clash of Eastern Conference rivals.
The NBA-best Cavaliers, who cruised to their sixth straight win and 10th in the last 11 games, shot a robust 60.9 per cent from the floor and dominated the interior with a 66-38 advantage in points in the paint. Cleveland led 41-29 after the first quarter and 77-50 at the half.
New York’s Jalen Brunson scored 16 of his 26 points in the first quarter, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 23 points.
Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points and Chet Holmgren had 20 as Western Conference leaders the Oklahoma City Thunder returned from the All-Star break with a 130-107 victory over the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.
In Sacramento, the Golden State Warriors moved ahead of the Kings into ninth spot in the West with a 132-108 road win, despite DeMar DeRozan 34 points for Sacramento. REUTERS
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