Lakers vs Nuggets

The Los Angeles Lakers face the reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in a Friday night primetime battle.

On the offensive end, James and Davis must continue their strong play to take advantage of a Nuggets defense that has vulnerabilities in the paint. It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more! None of those players can be left open on the perimeter, and the latter two can get to their spots with ease if given space. Without Porter, the Lakers and Nuggets are built in relatively similar ways. Not having to worry about a big wing that can score in any way imaginable should give the Lakers some breathing room defensively. After Anthony Davis, the Lakers are struggling to find anyone who can successfully guard the paint.

Denver @ Los Angeles. Current Records: Denver 17-10; Los Angeles 11-16. What to Know. The Denver Nuggets have enjoyed the comforts of home their last two ...

- Sep 18, 2020 - Los Angeles 126 vs. - Sep 20, 2020 - Los Angeles 105 vs. Despite the loss, Los Angeles got a solid performance out of center - Sep 24, 2020 - Los Angeles 114 vs. Los Angeles' loss took them down to 11-16 while Denver's victory pulled them up to 17-10. - Sep 26, 2020 - Los Angeles 117 vs. [NBA picks](https://www.sportsline.com/nba/picks/#ttag=SL19_lk_cbssports_nba_htw) for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. The Nuggets will be strutting in after a win while Los Angeles will be stumbling in from a defeat. Regional restrictions may apply.) AD's night made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least 31 points. Jokic's points were the most he has had all season. The game made it Jokic's third in a row with at least 31 points.

With Anthony Davis leaving the game with a foot injury, Russell Westbrook and Thomas Bryant led the Lakers to victory against the Nuggets.

Yes, the Lakers were able to win without him playing the majority of the night, but if Davis misses significant time, that’s going to be devastating for a team fighting to even get into the play-in picture. Fortunately for the Lakeshow, they were able to get the win tonight. They added to that momentum in the fourth, starting that frame on an 11-5 run. After Anthony Davis left the game with a right foot injury, his partner in crime LeBron James stepped up to lead the team with 23 points and 6 rebounds. You can follow Edwin on Twitter at [@ECreates88](http://twitter.com/ECreates88). The responsibility of slowing him down fell in the hands of AD, who didn’t necessarily stop the Joker but did slow him down and make him work for every basket in the first half. Russell Westbrook, a player many have criticized for his closing efforts this season, was also incredibly steady on Friday. Up by nine points with eight minutes left at home, most teams would feel comfortable about the win, but not the Lakers. Boxing out, discouraging players from finishing near the rim, and making a basket here and there. With the Lakers struggling to get minutes from the center and power forward position, and AD being ruled out, Thomas Bryant additionally stepped up and played well. When playing the Nuggets, the biggest focus for the opposing team is usually Nikola Jokić. With the game hanging in the balance, the Lakers took control in the third, going on a 20-5 run to end the quarter.

Lakers standout Anthony Davis sustained a right foot injury and didn't play in the second half of the Lakers' 126-108 win over the Denver Nuggets.

You have to give a lineup a chance to grow and be in rhythm together. The Lakers’ starters are allowing 101.8 points per 100 possessions according to NBA.com lineup data. Ham said he thought Beverley and Schroder would get on track offensively, and Friday, with Davis out, both delivered. We want to set a tone. And if you’re trying to fix consistent slow starts, there’s a pretty obvious option — change up the names Lawrence Tanter announces alongside James and Davis pregame. We have a lineup that we trust and we’ll see. “That’s what we want to do. He continued playing throughout the first half, finishing with 10 points, before staying in the locker room after halftime. “When we play that way, it’s hard to beat us,” Westbrook said. We have to be smart about all of that. Thomas Bryant, tapped to fill-in at center for Davis, scored a season-high 21 points. It’s the most points for Bryant since he scored 21 on Jan.

Lakers star big man Anthony Davis injured his right foot Friday night against Denver.

[Wenyen Gabriel](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/wenyen-gabriel-r8zgk7urDgmH0hNc/), [Thomas Bryant](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/thomas-bryant-dq4B2s0HiwRTR3cB/) and [Damian Jones](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/damian-jones-UMnCOlAwvmwVZkdt/) backing him up. The Lakers will likely play smaller with James at center — as they did last season and have at times this season — which pushes them to play at a faster pace in a five-out scheme that’s difficult to defend. He also leads them in net rating differential (a difference of 11.0 points per 100 possessions), as the Lakers have a team-worst -7.9 net rating when Davis is off the floor. Among the Lakers’ rotation regulars, Davis leads the team in net rating (the Lakers are plus-3.1 points per 100 possessions with Davis), per NBA.com. [Lakers](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/lakers/) star [Anthony Davis](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/anthony-davis-YhDofdcmUKoYKV18/) exited Friday’s game against the [Denver Nuggets](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/nuggets/) and was later ruled out with a right foot injury, the team announced. The downside is that it’s more physically taxing on James and the Lakers’ shaky defensive rebounding and rim protection will be even greater concerns. His absence is massive for a team that already is lacking in size, rim protection and reliable minutes from their bigs. They face the Without knowing the severity or specifics of the injury, it’s unclear how much time, if any at all, Davis will miss. [Wizards](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/wizards/), [Suns](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/suns/) (road), [Kings](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/sac-kings/) (road), [Hornets](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/hornets/), [Mavericks](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/mavericks/) (road), [Magic](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/magic/) (road), [Heat](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/heat/) (road) and [Hawks](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/hawks/) (road) through the rest of December. Gabriel, who’s been the Lakers’ second-best big this season, is day-to-day with a shoulder injury and could return Sunday vs. Here’s what you need to know: