Continuing from the All-Star break and playing with a renewed commitment on defense, the Denver Nuggets will put a five-game winning streak on the line when they visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.
The contest will also feature Lakers star LeBron James and his quest for 40,000 career points. It’s nine o’clock.
The Nuggets have won back-to-back home games by holding the Sacramento Kings and Miami Heat under 100 points, the first time they have done so in back-to-back games this season. They have only kept an opponent under 100 five times this season.
In their 103-97 win over the Heat on Thursday, Michael Porter Jr. scored 30 points with 11 rebounds, and Nikola Jokic had 18 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, ending his streak of four straight triple-doubles .
The game was a rematch of the 2023 NBA Finals which Denver won in five games.
The only negative Thursday was a sprained right ankle for Jamal Murray, who left in the second quarter with six points in 14 minutes and did not return. His status remains pending for Saturday.
“If there’s any hesitation, then he’s not going to play in Los Angeles if the ankle isn’t good,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “The question is never, ‘Can I go play?’ No, can you play effectively? If you don’t play effectively, you put everyone else at a disadvantage.
“So we’ll see. And if he’s not able to play against the Lakers, we hope to get him back (Tuesday) for Phoenix.”
The Nuggets have won both games against the Lakers this season and have won three in a row dating back to last campaign. Denver’s most recent victory against Los Angeles was a 114-106 road decision on February 8 when Murray scored 29 points and added 11 assists.
As good as Denver has been on defense lately, it probably won’t be good enough to prevent history. James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, is set to become the first player in league history to reach the 40,000 point mark.
James scored 31 points in a 134-131 overtime win over the Washington Wizards on Thursday.
This came a day after he scored 19 points in the fourth quarter and 34 in the game to clinch a 116-112 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, leading a rally from a 21-point deficit with just a little over 11 minutes to play.
Anthony Davis had 40 points and 15 rebounds against the Wizards on Thursday as the Lakers won for the ninth time in 12 games. It was his third game with at least 40 points this season.
He also reached a game-high 40 points in the league championship game, which does not count in the regular season standings, scoring 41 points in the win over Indiana.
James will now take his chance to reach what was previously an unattainable milestone, and the opportunity will present itself in a nationally televised match.
“For me to be in this position at this point in my career, I think it’s pretty cool,” James said. “Is this at the top of the things I’ve done in my career? No. But does it mean anything? Of course, absolutely. Why not?
“Being able to accomplish things in this league, with the greatest players to ever play in this league, the NBA, has been a dream of mine and to achieve feats and milestones throughout my career, they all mean something In my opinion.”
–Field media/Reuters
