The Lakers have overcome an early deficit to take the lead back in this one. Sitting on a score of 66-58, they have looked like the better team, but there's still two more quarters to play.
The Lakers came into the matchup with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We'll see if they're able to flip the script or if it'll just be more of the same.
Who's PlayingDenver Nuggets @ Los Angeles Lakers
Current Records: Denver 41-19, Los Angeles 33-28
How To WatchWhen: Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 8:30 p.m. ETWhere: Crypto.com Arena -- Los Angeles, CaliforniaTV: ABCFollow: CBS Sports AppOnline streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)Ticket Cost: $35.00What to KnowThe Lakers are 2-8 against the Nuggets since October of 2022 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. Both teams will face off at 8:30 p.m. ET on March 2nd at Crypto.com Arena without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
It may have taken overtime to finish the job, but the Lakers ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 134-131 win over Washington. The overall outcome was as expected, but the Wizards made it much more of a match than the oddsmakers had predicted.
It was another big night for Anthony Davis, who dropped a double-double on 40 points and 15 rebounds. He has been hot recently, having posted 12 or more rebounds the last seven times he's played. Another player making a difference was LeBron James, who almost dropped a double-double on 31 points and nine assists.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets waltzed into their matchup on Thursday with four straight wins but they left with five. They managed a 103-97 victory over Miami.
The Nuggets can attribute much of their success to Michael Porter Jr., who dropped a double-double on 30 points and 11 rebounds. Porter Jr. didn't help the Nuggets' cause all that much against the Kings on Wednesday but the same can't be said for this game. Less helpful for the Nuggets was Reggie Jackson's abysmal 0-5 three-point shooting.
Los Angeles is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 12 games, which provided a nice bump to their 33-28 record this season. As for Denver, their victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 41-19.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: The Lakers haven't given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 13.2 turnovers per game. However, it's not like the Nuggets (currently ranked fifth in turnovers per game) struggle in that department as they've been averaging only 11.9 turnovers per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
The Lakers came up short against the Nuggets when the teams last played back in February, falling 114-106. Can the Lakers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
OddsThe game is expected to go down to the wire, as the oddsmakers have this as a pick 'em.
The line on this game has moved a bit since it opened, as it started out with the Nuggets as a 1.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 228 points.
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Series HistoryDenver has won 8 out of their last 10 games against Los Angeles.
Feb 08, 2024 - Denver 114 vs. Los Angeles 106Oct 24, 2023 - Denver 119 vs. Los Angeles 107May 22, 2023 - Denver 113 vs. Los Angeles 111May 20, 2023 - Denver 119 vs. Los Angeles 108May 18, 2023 - Denver 108 vs. Los Angeles 103May 16, 2023 - Denver 132 vs. Los Angeles 126Jan 09, 2023 - Denver 122 vs. Los Angeles 109Dec 16, 2022 - Los Angeles 126 vs. Denver 108Oct 30, 2022 - Los Angeles 121 vs. Denver 110Oct 26, 2022 - Denver 110 vs. Los Angeles 99
