Who’s Playing
Denver Nuggets @ Los Angeles Lakers
Current Records: Denver 8-6, Los Angeles 10-5
How To Watch
- When: Saturday, November 23, 2024 at 10:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Crypto.com Arena — Los Angeles, California
- TV: NBATV
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $109.29
What to Know
The Nuggets are 9-1 against the Lakers since May of 2023, and they’ll have a chance to extend that success on Saturday. Having just played yesterday, the Denver Nuggets will head out on the road to face off against the Los Angeles Lakers at 10:30 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena. Coming off a loss in a game the Nuggets were expected to win, they now face the more daunting task of proving themselves against unfavorable odds.
The Nuggets are headed into the match having just suffered their closest loss since November 1st on Friday. They fell just short of the Mavericks by a score of 123-120. The close contest was extra heartbreaking for Denver, who almost overcame a 24 point deficit.
The Nuggets might have lost, but man, Nikola Jokic was a machine: he dropped a triple-double on 33 points, 17 rebounds, and ten assists. Jokic’s evening made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least 30 points.
Even though they lost, the Nuggets were working as a unit and finished the game with 33 assists (they’re ranked second in assists per game overall). They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as the Mavericks only posted 24.
Meanwhile, the Lakers unfortunately witnessed the end of their six-game winning streak on Thursday. They lost 119-118 to the Magic on a last-minute shot From Franz Wagner. It was the first time this season that Los Angeles let down their fans at home.
The Lakers’ defeat shouldn’t obscure the performances of Anthony Davis, who almost dropped a double-double on 39 points and nine rebounds, and LeBron James, who shot 5-for-9 from downtown and dropped a double-double on 31 points and ten rebounds. James continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he’s played.
Denver’s loss ended a five-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 8-6. As for Los Angeles, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-5.
Saturday’s game is shaping up to be a scrappy matchup: The Nuggets have crashing the boards this season, having averaged 45.9 rebounds per game. It’s a different story for the Lakers, though, as they’ve been averaging only 40.1. Given the Nuggets’ sizable advantage in that area, the Lakers will need to find a way to close that gap.
The Nuggets skirted past the Lakers 108-106 in their previous meeting back in April. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was James, who almost dropped a triple-double on 30 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists. Now that he’s got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Nuggets still be able to contain James? Check CBSSports.com after the match to find out.
Odds
Los Angeles is a 4.5-point favorite against Denver, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Lakers as a 3.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 234.5 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Denver has won 9 out of their last 10 games against Los Angeles.
- Apr 29, 2024 – Denver 108 vs. Los Angeles 106
- Apr 27, 2024 – Los Angeles 119 vs. Denver 108
- Apr 25, 2024 – Denver 112 vs. Los Angeles 105
- Apr 22, 2024 – Denver 101 vs. Los Angeles 99
- Apr 20, 2024 – Denver 114 vs. Los Angeles 103
- Mar 02, 2024 – Denver 124 vs. Los Angeles 114
- Feb 08, 2024 – Denver 114 vs. Los Angeles 106
- Oct 24, 2023 – Denver 119 vs. Los Angeles 107
- May 22, 2023 – Denver 113 vs. Los Angeles 111
- May 20, 2023 – Denver 119 vs. Los Angeles 108
