FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

High-profile, high-stakes matchup

The Lakers aced the first part of a tough March schedule, beating the Knicks and Timberwolves and taking care of business against the other lesser opponents. Now the difficulty level rises even further. The Nuggets, the only team to beat the Lakers during this recent 7–1 stretch, are up next, followed by two more heavy tests against the Rockets.

These three games are not just another chance for the Lakers to reaffirm their recent play, which has shown they can hang with and even beat the top teams. They will also carry significant standings implications. With a win today, the Lakers would gain another game of cushion over the Nuggets and clinch the season-series tiebreaker, while a loss would do the opposite.

Source: ESPN

Lakers (41-25) vs Nuggets (41-26) game facts
Rest: LAL on 1 day of rest; DEN on 1 day of rest

Ranking: LAL 13th in Point Diff (+1.6), DEN 10th in Point Diff (+3.8)

LAL vs DEN 2025-26 record: 1-1 (see Game 62 observations here, Game 42 observations here)

LAL injuries: Jaxson Hayes (probable), Maxi Kleber (OUT)

DEN injuries: Peyton Watson (OUT), Aaron Gordon (probable), Jamal Murray (probable)

LAL projected starting five: Luka Dončić (G), Marcus Smart (G), Austin Reaves (G), LeBron James (F), Deandre Ayton (C)

LAL key reserves: Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard, Jake LaRavia, Jaxson Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt

DEN projected starting five: Jamal Murray (G), Christian Braun (G), Cameron Johnson (F), Aaron Gordon (F), Nikola Jokić (C)

DEN key reserves: Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valanciunas, Spencer Jones, Julian Strawther

Key storyline: Can the Lakers deliver a high-level shotmaking game against the Nuggets?

The Lakers have been on a roll recently, with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves playing some of their best basketball, matching the level we saw at the beginning of the season. Dončić and Reaves are averaging 40.3 and 26.3 points per game, respectively, over the last four games. The Lakers will need that to carry over into tonight’s matchup, because their opponent is operating at a similar, if not even higher, level when it comes to scoring the basketball.

Like the Lakers, the Nuggets have gotten healthy and have been throwing haymakers at their opponents. They’ve scored 120 or more points in five of their last six games. Even more impressively, they’ve scored 126 or more in their last three games against the best-, third-, and fifth-ranked defenses, facing the Thunder, Rockets, and Spurs.

Nuggets offense last seven games (source: Cleaning the Glass)

Barring an outlier shooting night from three by the Nuggets, the Lakers will likely need to outscore the best offense in the NBA and push past 120 points. It’s something they are capable of, but something they failed to do in the two previous matchups this season. The Lakers will need Dončić and Reaves to be at the top of their games when it comes to shotmaking, and the rest of the team will have to convert at a high clip if they want to outscore the best offense in the NBA.

Lakers on offense | Nuggets on defense

The key, as always, will be to attack Jokić systematically and consistently from the first possession. The Lakers failed to do that in the last game, easing into the game and giving up an 11–0 lead after three minutes. From that point on, they had to play catch-up for the rest of the night.

The Nuggets tried Jokić in drop coverage early in the game but quickly switched to hedge and blitz against Dončić, opening up four-on-three opportunities. However, Jokić mostly remained in drop against Reaves. The Lakers generated good offense when that happened, and Dončić and Reaves will need to find the right balance, eliminating empty freelance possessions that do not serve the purpose of attacking and tiring Jokić, as that is the best way to have any success against him on the other end. Jaxson Hayes’ potential return could be a huge boost, as his speed, verticality, and short-roll decision-making put a lot of pressure on Jokić in either drop or more aggressive blitz situations.

The Lakers also need to leverage LeBron James as a secondary playmaker to add more unpredictability and variety to their attack. They ran two great actions in the previous matchup in the fourth quarter, and they’ll need more of that to ensure high-level offense throughout the game.

The task will get more difficult with Aaron Gordon, the Nuggets’ best defender, back in the mix. Gordon and Cameron Johnson bring more size to the rotation, making it harder to target smaller defenders. Another reason to go at Jokić even more consistently.

Nuggets on offense | Lakers on defense

Apart from an early stretch when the Lakers were too slow and not aggressive enough in perimeter actions, giving up a couple of open looks for Jamal Murray, their defense was at the right level in the last game. It’s hard to expect Jokić to have nine turnovers again, but they will need to be aggressive against him when doubling, because every deflection and every lost possession will matter.

The focus and speed of rotations will need to be even better tonight, because with Gordon back Jokić has one of his best release valves, a player like Murray with whom he has played thousands of actions and can find almost blindfolded at any time. Johnson, a 41 percent three-point shooter, makes loading up on Jokić a riskier proposition. To have a chance against the Nuggets’ high-octane offense, the Lakers will probably need some luck and hope for an off shooting night from the Nuggets’ supporting cast.

Because of Ayton’s early injury in the last game, JJ Redick had to revert to small-ball with James or Rui Hachimura at the five in the previous matchup. That is an alternative look they could use again in this game (especially if Ayton struggles with speed and decision making against a high precision offense), as James, Hachimura, and Dončić have the size to offer at least some early resistance until help arrives. But Denver countered that by putting Jokić on Marcus Smart or Jake LaRavia on the other end, and the duo will need to make the open three to punish that. Otherwise, Redick will have to find better solutions rather than living and dying with Smart’s shooting, like they did on crucial late-game possessions last time.

Final thoughts

Lakers–Nuggets, Dončić vs. Jokić, are always interesting chess matches on both ends of the floor. For the Lakers to come out on top, they’ll need to bring their A-game when it comes to shotmaking and execution.

A win would be a huge boost and another proof that they belong in the conversations they’ve been taken out of for most of the season.