The NBA’s “rivalry week” is underway, and apparently, that means the Nuggets and Lakers will square off. Rivalry may be a bit of a stretch, but these teams have faced off multiple times in the playoffs in recent years, including the 2020 and 2023 Western Conference Finals. Now they employ two of the top MVP candidates in the league, two European sensations, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic.
But this national tv showcase on NBC Tuesday night in Ball Arena is going to be lacking some star power. Nikola Jokic will miss his 12th game in a row with a left bone bruise, and will be joined on the sidelines by Jonas Valanciunas, Cam Johnson, and Christian Braun.
The good news is that the rest of the banged-up Nuggets are trending in the right direction as Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Tim Hardaway Jr. are all listed as probable and expected to play. Bruce Brown is off the injury report completely.
Denver was on a four-game winning streak before getting throttled on Sunday night by the Hornets. Gordon didn’t play in that game, and most of the rotation players were shut down early in the third quarter on the second night of the second back-to-back of the week. They should be well-rested and ready to get back out there on Tuesday night, and hopefully get back in the win-column against the (apparently) rival Lakers.
Luka Doncic and LeBron James will be in action for Lakers
The Lakers have been without Austin Reaves since he suffered a calf strain on Christmas Day, but otherwise, they are almost completely healthy. Luka Doncic and LeBron James will both be suiting up and trying to get LA on track as they’ve fallen to sixth place in the West.
After a red-hot, and clearly unsustainable, 15-4 start, the Lakers have had trouble integrating James into the lineup alongside Luka, going just 10-12 since then. But Doncic is leading the league in scoring, as he’s set to start in another All-Star Game, while LeBron has been channeling the fountain of youth in recent weeks.
You know they are going to show up for this marquee matchup on national television, and whether Jokic is playing or not, they are going to want to take it to the Nuggets. Likewise, Denver will want to get back to their winning ways and prove that their recent domination of the Lakers goes beyond Jokic.