The Lakers (42-25) will take on the Denver Nuggets (44-25) for the fourth and final time this regular season on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena. The game starts at 7:00 p.m. on Spectrum SportsNet.
### SEASON MATCHUPS The Lakers and Nuggets are quite familiar with each other, having developed a rivalry through three intense playoff encounters in 2020, 2023, and 2024. This regular season, they have already faced off three times:
– Nov. 23: Nuggets 127, Lakers 102. The Lakers were ahead by six at halftime, but the Nuggets pulled ahead in the second half thanks to Nikola Jokic, who scored 34 points.
– Feb. 22: Lakers 123, Nuggets 100. Luka Dončić, with 32 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals, led his new team to a significant victory in Denver, where the Lakers controlled the game from the start.
– March 14: Nuggets 131, Lakers 126. The Lakers played without four regular starters, including Dončić and LeBron James. Austin Reaves nearly pulled off an upset with 37 points and 13 assists, but Denver sealed the win with an 8-0 run at the end.
Each game featured different lineups for the Lakers. The November game included Anthony Davis and Max Christie, the February game showcased Dončić and Dorian Finney-Smith, and the March matchup had Dalton Knecht and Shake Milton. While the Nuggets are fully healthy for this season finale between the two Western teams, the Lakers will be missing both LeBron and Rui Hachimura for the sixth consecutive game.
### TIEBREAKER AT STAKE JJ Redick has made it clear that his main focus is on getting his team ready to play each day and on the opponent they are facing. Therefore, his only concern right now is figuring out how to beat Denver. Lakers fans may also be thinking about the Western Conference standings and how the outcome of this game could affect them.
The team that wins the game will quickly move ahead in the important loss column since both teams have 25 losses. Denver has won two out of the last three games against LA this season, so if they win on Wednesday, they will secure the tiebreaker over the Lakers. However, if the Lakers win, the season series will end in a tie at 2-2, and the next tiebreaker will depend on their head-to-head winning percentage. According to NBA.com, “The division leader wins the tie against a team that is not leading a division.”
The Nuggets belong to the Northwest Division, where OKC (56-12) is also competing, so they cannot win their division. Meanwhile, the Lakers are three games ahead of Golden State in the Pacific Division. If they can maintain their lead and win the Pacific, they would gain the tiebreaker over Denver. If the Warriors catch up to the Lakers, the next tiebreaker will be based on “Conference won-lost percentage.” Right now, LA has the advantage there too, with a record of 29-13 compared to Denver’s 27-15.
GAME PLAN CHALLENGE
In February, during LA’s victory over Denver, Redick and his team created an excellent game plan that focused on surrounding Nikola Jokic with several defenders. They specifically aimed to prevent him from getting the ball at all.
Jokic only managed to take seven shots in 35 minutes (plus 10 free throw attempts), scoring 12 points. This was one of only four games this season where he attempted fewer than 10 shots. In contrast, Russell Westbrook, who usually shoots 30.6% from three-point range but is at 34.2% this year, took 17 shots, including seven three-pointers, and scored 17 points.
A crucial part of the strategy against Jokic was the size and toughness of LeBron and Hachimura, two players Redick will be missing. This is a challenge! However, he still has Jaxson Hayes in the lineup, and Hayes’ ability to jump makes him a great lob threat on offense, which has been especially important for Dončić and Reaves. Hayes missed the entire four-game road trip, and the Lakers lost all those games. But he has played in the 10 games before and after that trip, and the Lakers won all 10.
Christian Koloko has taken the backup center minutes in recent games because Trey Jemison III has been sick. However, Jemison is questionable for Wednesday’s game, so he might return to play.
