The Los Angeles Lakers spent the last two months in a desperate bid to escape the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference. Finally, in the season's last week, they did so. A Play-In victory over the New Orleans Pelicans got them all the way up to No. 7. Their reward? The defending champions.
The Nuggets have dominated the Lakers over the past calendar year. In that time, they've played one another seven times. The Nuggets have won all seven games, including a sweep in last season's Western Conference Finals. The Lakers may have the NBA's most well-known player, but even LeBron James has failed to measure up to Nikola Jokic lately.
Can the Lakers finally turn the tables on their newfound rivals? Or will the Nuggets knock the Lakers out as easily as they did a year ago? Here's how you can tune into Game 1 to find out.
Nuggets vs. Lakers
- Date: Saturday, April 20 | Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Ball Arena -- Denver
- TV channel: ABC | Live stream: fubo (try for free)
- Odds: Nuggets -7; O/U 224
Storylines
Lakers: The Lakers have generally been able to keep these losses against the Nuggets close. Where they get beaten is in the final few minutes. The Lakers and Nuggets have played 18 clutch minutes since the 2023 Western Conference Finals began. The Nuggets have won those minutes by 32 points. The Lakers are, for the most part, bringing back the same group of players for this series that they had a year ago. How will they adjust against Denver's brutally efficient late-game offense? What happens in the first 43 minutes won't matter if the Nuggets continue to destroy the Lakers in the final five.
Nuggets: We've seen the Nuggets win a championship. We haven't seen them defend one. Most champions will tell you that the second one is harder. You have a bullseye on your back. Distractions abound. The Nuggets didn't exactly end the season on the best foot, dropping a stunner to the Spurs that cost them the No. 1 seed. Their championship defense begins in earnest on Saturday. How will the Nuggets respond to the extra pressure? Only time will tell.
Prediction
The Nuggets should win this game, but the spread is too big to pick against the Lakers. Either Denver controls the game and the Lakers have time for a backdoor cover, or, like most games in this matchup, it's close and the Nuggets pull away at the end. The Pick: Lakers +7
