Death, taxes, and the Denver Nuggets defeating the Los Angeles Lakers. These are the three certainties of life. With their Game 1 victory over the Lakers on Saturday, the Nuggets have now defeated their Western Conference rival nine times in a row. In case you’re wondering, a Nuggets sweep would tie Denver’s streak, which would then hit 12, for the third-longest winning streak one team has ever posted over another.
Of course, the Lakers have no intention of letting that happen. In fact, they plan to tie this series on Tuesday when these two teams face off in Game 2. Will they be able to do so? Or will Denver’s dominance over Los Angeles reach a double-digit streak? Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Game 2.
Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
- Date: Monday, April 22 | Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Ball Arena — Denver
- TV channel: TNT| Live stream: TNT app
- Odds: Nuggets -7.5; O/U 223
Storylines
Lakers: The superstars more than did their job on Saturday. LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined for 59 points on over 56% shooting from the field. The problem was everyone else. The rest of the Laker roster scored just 44 points on 42.5% shooting. Taurean Prince was the only reserve to score in the entire game. D’Angelo Russell missed 14 shots by himself. James and Davis are among the best players in the NBA, but they can’t beat the Nuggets on their own, especially when Denver’s starters all reach double figures.
Nuggets: Denver managed to beat the Lakers despite a relatively disappointing 9-of-24 shooting night from Jamal Murray. In the Western Conference Finals, Murray averaged over 32 points on over 53% shooting from the field. He dealt with a nagging injury down the stretch, and he might just be rounding into form now. If the Nuggets can get Murray going as they did a season ago in this matchup, it’s over.
Prediction
The Nuggets always win these games, but the Lakers tend to keep it close. Three of Denver’s four wins in last year’s series were by six points or fewer, and Game 1 was competitive until the end even if the Nuggets ultimately pulled away. I’m picking a Lakers cover, but a Nuggets victory. The Pick: Lakers +7.5
