The Denver Nuggets (17-10, 9-7 Away) are on the road to face the Los Angeles Lakers (11-16, 6-7 Home) Friday in what is likely to be a high-scoring game. Denver topped the Washington Wizards 141-128 at Ball Arena on Wednesday, their third win in a row. Nikola Jokic was the key player with 43 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists, and five steals.
The Nuggets are 1.5 games back in the Western Conference, currently sitting in third. Los Angeles lost on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena, falling to the Boston Celtics 122-118 in overtime. Anthony Davis had 37 points and 12 rebounds in defeat to lead the team. The Lakers are 12th in the Western Conference.
The teams are meeting for the final time this season. Denver and Los Angeles have split their two matchups this season. The Lakers triumphed in the most recent meeting, beating the Nuggets 121-110 at Crypto.com Arena on October 30.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 26 points, while Davis contributed 23 points and 15 rebounds. Jokic had 23 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists in the losing effort.
The Nuggets have been led this season by Jokic, who is averaging 24.6 points per game, best in the NBA. Jokic also is contributing 10.3 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game, placing him first and first in the NBA, respectively.Davis and James have powered the Lakers’ offense, averaging 28.1 and 26.5 points per game, respectively.
Davis leads the league in scoring, while James is first. Davis also has collected 12.4 rebounds per game, most in the NBA. Russell Westbrook has distributed 7.5 assists per game.
The Nuggets and the Lakers are two of the top scoring teams in the league, ranking third and fourth in points per game, respectively. Denver is scoring 116.0 per game, while Los Angeles is averaging 115.0.
The Lakers have had the advantage in recent games between the teams at Crypto.com Arena, winning seven of the last 10. Denver is 7-3 in the last 10 games with an average margin of +4.6 (120.1-115.5).
Los Angeles has split the last 10 (5-5), scoring 122.8 points per game on average while allowing 122.5 (+0.3 margin). The Lakers are averaging 115.0 ppg for the full season while allowing 116.6.
NUGGETS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
DeAndre Jordan: 8.0 | 11.7 | -3.7
Points per game:
Nikola Jokic: 31.6 | 24.6 | +7.0
Rebounds per game:
DeAndre Jordan: 3.8 | 5.7 | -1.9
LAKERS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Troy Brown Jr.: 6.6 | 12.0 | -5.4
Rebounds per game:
Russell Westbrook: 8.2 | 5.9 | +2.3
SportsTips’ NBA Pick:
Denver Nuggets (-120)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
