Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers Preview – APRIL 20, 2024 — Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA playoff coverage here at Total Apex Sports. One of the games on tap from tonight’s slate features the Los Angeles Lakers (49-35 SU, 40-44 ATS) taking on the Denver Nuggets (57-25 SU, 38-42-2 ATS).
In a rematch of last year’s Western Conference finals, here is a look at which squad has the edge going into this matchup and why.
Tipoff
When: Saturday, April 20, 2024 at 8:30 PM ET
Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
TV: ABC
Nuggets vs. Lakers – Regular Season Stats & Trends
Can The Lakers Avenge Last Year’s Playoff Loss Against The Defending Champs?
Los Angeles Lakers Season Stats:
- Scoring Offense: 118.0 PPG – 6TH
- Offensive Efficiency: 115.9 points per 100 possessions – 15TH
- Scoring Defense: 115.3 PPG – 23RD
- Defensive Efficiency: 115.3 points per 100 possessions – 16TH
The Lakers finished with the seventh-best record in the conference. But despite being in the play-in round for the second straight season, they enter this matchup with seven wins across their last 10 outings. This includes a 110-106 win over the New Orleans Pelicans in the opening round of the play-in tournament.
All five of the Lakers’ starting five scored in double figures. LeBron James led the way with 23 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists.
Russell Comes Up Big
D’Angelo Russell added 21 points on 5-for-11 shooting from distance. Anthony Davis made his presence felt at both ends of the floor as he finished with 20 points, 15 boards, and three blocked shots.
To be objective, though, if Zion Williamson — who scored 40 points and grabbed 11 rebounds — did not go down with an injury in the waning minutes of that contest, the Pelicans probably come out on top.
Dating back to last year’s conference finals, the Lakers are 0-7 against the Nuggets. And two of their three losses to the Nuggets this season were by double-digit margins. Given those trends, it isn’t easy to foresee them winning this series against the defending champions.
Can Nuggets Continue Their Dominance Against The Purple And Gold?
Denver Nuggets Season Stats:
- Scoring Offense: 114.9 PPG – 14TH
- Offensive Efficiency: 118.5 points per 100 possessions – 5TH
- Scoring Defense: 109.6 PPG – 6TH
- Defensive Efficiency: 113.0 points per 100 possessions – 8TH
Meanwhile, the Nuggets just missed nabbing the top spot out west. They had the same 57-25 record as the Oklahoma City Thunder but OKC owned the tiebreaker, pushing Denver back to the No. 2 spot. The defending champions concluded the season with seven wins in their last 10 outings, including a 126-111 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in the season finale.
Jamal Murray paced the team’s offense with 21 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
Jokic Shines
Nikola Jokic continues to show why he is one of the most talented big men in the modern era. He finished with 15 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and four steals. Aaron Gordon added 15 points, five boards, and five dimes.
This will mark the third time these teams have clashed in the postseason over the last five years. Los Angeles won 4-1 in the conference finals round in 2020, while the Nuggets swept the Lakers in the same round in last year’s playoffs. It will be interesting to see which team advances this time around.
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