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After a perfect five-game homestand (at least as far as their record is concerned), the Los Angeles Lakers will head back out on the road on Sunday to take on the Denver Nuggets at the Ball Arena.
Prior to the Lakers’ win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, the Nuggets were the last team that Los Angeles had beaten in regulation. Unfortunately for the Nuggets, though, they put up as much of a fight in the second half as the Grizzlies did on Friday.
In their last meeting, the Lakers beat the Nuggets 114-93, which remarkably isn’t their largest margin of victory this season. Granted, the Nuggets were missing Gary Harris, but you don’t lose a game by 21 points because one player is missing — the Lakers just outplayed Denver. It’s also not relevant because Harris will be sidelined for Sunday’s contest too. Will Barton III will also be out for personal reasons. Jamal Murray (left ankle sprain) is questionable.
The Lakers have only ruled one player — Kostas Antetokounmpo — for Sunday, but the availability of Anthony Davis is up in the air. Davis played for the first time in two games on Friday, but he was dealing with discomfort toward the end of the game.
If Davis can’t give it a go on Sunday, the tall task of guarding Nikola Jokic will only become taller. Let’s hope Marc Gasol is well-rested, or that Jokic is exhausted from carrying his team on his back. He’s averaging 26.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game and the Nuggets are only the No. 7 seed? Are you JOK-ing?
Okay. I’ll see myself out.
The Lakers and Nuggets will tip-off at 7 p.m. PT on Sunday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN nationally and Spectrum SportsNet locally.
Notes and Updates
- Kostas Antetokounmpo (right knee patellar tendinitis) remains out. Anthony Davis (right Achilles tendinosis) has been listed questionable.
- Alex Caruso (right hand soreness) and LeBron James (left ankle sprain) are probable.
For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts. You can follow this author on Twitter at @RadRivas.