NBA: Lakers head to Denver with chance to leap past Nuggets

The Los Angeles Lakers enter Thursday sixth in the Western Conference playoff race, aiming to improve their position with a road game against the Denver Nuggets.

Los Angeles trails Denver by just half a game and sits 1½ games behind the third seed, with over five weeks remaining in the regular season. The Lakers have won three consecutive games and face a Nuggets squad still missing key contributors.

Denver forward Aaron Gordon has been sidelined since Jan. 23 with a hamstring strain, the same injury keeping guard Peyton Watson out for a month. Neither player will suit up Thursday, though Gordon could return Friday against the New York Knicks.

Nuggets head coach David Adelman has shuffled lineups to manage the absences, and the team added depth Wednesday by signing forward David Roddy to a two-way contract. Drafted in the first round by Philadelphia in 2022, Roddy has played for multiple teams and provides Denver extra wing support while Watson, Gordon, and forward Spencer Jones recover from injuries.

"They're very valuable players for us," Denver center Jonas Valanciunas said after practice Wednesday. "I think we're all waiting for them to come back and see where we can go."

Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have carried Denver through the recent stretch. Jokic is averaging 28.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 10.3 assists, leading the NBA in rebounds and assists. Murray is putting up a career-best 25.7 points per game and recently scored 45 in a win at Utah.

The Lakers, fresh off a 110-101 comeback win against New Orleans on Tuesday, hope to extend their streak to four games. Los Angeles is led by Luka Doncic, who tops the NBA with 32.4 points per game, and LeBron James, averaging 21.6 points.

Los Angeles won the first matchup against the Nuggets 115-107 on Jan. 20 while Austin Reaves was sidelined with a left calf strain that kept him out for 19 games. Reaves, second on the team in scoring with 23.8 points per game, had been averaging 27.3 before his injury. A win Thursday would give the Lakers the season series over Denver, with the final meeting set for March 14 in Los Angeles.

Both teams face challenging schedules down the stretch, but Lakers guard Marcus Smart emphasized staying focused on the present.

"We don't have the luxury to look ahead," Smart said. "If we can stay the course and just focus on one game at a time, we give ourselves a chance to catch a good rhythm."

—Field Level Media/Reuters