Tuesday, November 27, 2018

GAME OF THE DAY: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets Preview


Aidan Lising/Def Pen Sports

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The Los Angeles Lakers seem to have found their footing, winning seven of their last nine. LeBron James and the young Lakers have strung together victories against potential playoff teams like Utah and Portland and hope to add Denver to that list. The Nuggets, meanwhile, have won three in a row but have lost six of their last ten.


Denver will aim to right the ship against James and the Lakers at the Pepsi Center on Tuesday night in a prime time matchup on NBA TV. The two teams have already squared off this season, back on October 25th, with the result being a Lakers victory at the Staples Center.


King James is doing what he normally does: leading his team in every way possible. LeBron is averaging 28.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game seemingly like clockwork.


The Nuggets are coming off of a very impressive 105-98 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, overcoming some injuries and a string of three games in four days. Denver has had a tough run of late, but needs to put together some more impressive wins if they are to be taken seriously in the rough Western Conference.


One of the aforementioned Nuggets injuries was to guard Gary Harris, who sat out against the Thunder with a sore ankle. Mike Malone is hopeful he is able to play against the Lakers and it seems like he sat out against OKC for precautionary reasons. His presence on the court will certainly play a factor in some of these GameOn picks. Speaking of which…


Featured Pick #1: How many points will be scored total? (Over 216)


Both of these teams are strong offensive and defensive teams. Denver is 4th in the league in defensive rating and the Lakers, now with Tyson Chandler there to anchor the middle, have moved to 9th in the league. Both teams are top ten in the league in steals per game as well. Offensively, the Lakers have LeBron and Denver has Nikola Jokic plus a plethora of shooters around him. I’ll take the over on 216 points given that Los Angeles is clicking of late and the Nuggets should get Gary Harris back.


Featured Pick #2: How many free throws will be missed in the first quarter? (3)


Both the Lakers and Nuggets are bottom-ten in the NBA in free throw percentage. Los Angeles is 25th in the league at 71.7 percent, with LeBron going as far to say that he is “garbage” at them right now. Denver is a little better but still sits at 21st in the league at 74.5 percent. I would bet that three free throws will be missed, given how frequently players can get to the line.


Featured Pick #3: Will either team lead at the end of every quarter? (No)


Los Angeles is on a roll right now and has a winning record on the road, but momentum is favoring the Nuggets. Denver is 8-3 at home, should be getting Gary Harris back in the lineup, and are coming off of an impressive win over the Thunder. They will keep things close enough to make a lead change at the end of a quarter possible.


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