The Los Angeles Lakers travel to Denver to face the Nuggets on Tuesday, January 20, at Ball Arena, with tip-off scheduled for 10:00 PM ET.
Los Angeles enters at 25-16, riding a one-game winning streak, while Denver sits at 29-14 and is coming off a one-game losing streak.
The Lakers will be without Austin Reaves (left calf strain) and Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain), leaving Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Rui Hachimura to carry the offensive load.
Doncic has averaged 33.3 points, 8.6 assists, and 7.5 rebounds in 33 games, while James contributes 22.6 points and 6.9 assists over 24 contests this season. Deandre Ayton, averaging 14.2 points and 8.8 rebounds, will be critical for rim protection and efficiency on the boards.
Denver’s injury list is longer, with Nikola Jokic (left knee bone bruise), Cameron Johnson (right knee bone bruise), and Jonas Valanciunas (right calf strain) sidelined.
Tamar Bates (left foot surgery), Christian Braun (left ankle sprain), and Curtis Jones (two-way) are also out, while Jamal Murray (left knee inflammation), Tim Hardaway Jr. (right knee contusion), and Aaron Gordon (right hamstring strain) are listed as probable.
The Nuggets will rely on Murray and Peyton Watson to lead the backcourt, with Murray averaging 25.9 points and 7.3 assists in 39 games this season.
Both teams enter with contrasting recent forms: the Lakers beat Toronto 110-93 before a loss to Portland, while the Nuggets dropped 87-110 to Charlotte and beat Washington 121-115.
