The Los Angeles Lakers invade the Ball Arena to battle the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 NBA action on Monday night. Here’s a Lakers vs Nuggets prediction.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers will be going back to the drawing board after getting routed by the Nuggets in a 114-103 defeat in Game 1 on Saturday. Anthony Davis led the team with 32 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and four blocks, LeBron James added 27 points with eight assists while Austin Reaves chipped in with 13 points. As a team, the Lakers shot 49 percent from the field and eight of 29 from the 3-point line as they kept pace with the Nuggets all the way until the third quarter, where they got outscored by 32-18 to trail by as many as 15 points. D’Angelo Russell had a night to forget, as he shot just six of 20 from the field and one of nine from the 3-pointer for his 13 points.
Denver Nuggets
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets will be aiming to take a 2-0 series lead after taking care of business in a solid win on Saturday. Nikola Jokic led the team with 32 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists on 15 of 23 shooting, Jamal Murray added 22 points with 10 assists while Michael Porter Jr chipped in with 19 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. As a team, the Nuggets shot 46 percent from the field and 15 of 42 from the 3-point line as they struggled to get going and didn’t find their groove until they fell into an early 12-point deficit. Fortunately, the Nuggets dominated the second and third quarters by a combined 64-43 to make it look easy in the end.
Denver Nuggets Team Facts
- The Nuggets have won each of their last nine games against the Lakers.
- The Nuggets have covered the spread in each of their last six games against the Lakers.
- Each of the Nuggets’ last 10 home games against Pacific Division opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
Los Angeles Lakers Team Facts
- The Lakers have lost each of their last six games at Ball Arena.
- The favorites have covered the spread in each of the Lakers’ last six Western Conference First Round games.
- Six of the Lakers’ last seven Western Conference First Round games as underdogs have gone UNDER the total points line.
Lakers vs Nuggets prediction
The Lakers will be disappointed with how quickly they lost the game after holding their ground in a tightly contested first half. The Lakers will know that they can pull off the upset if they can just get better production from role players like Russell and Reaves who were quiet on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Nuggets will be growing in confidence as they looked great sharing the ball on offense, and they won easily despite Murray shooting just nine of 24 from the field. It’s tempting to take the Lakers with the points, but I think the Nuggets pull away in the second half for another big win at home to take a 2-0 series lead.