January 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) controls the ball while Denver Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) guards at Ball Arena in the fourth quarter. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Image The Los Angeles Lakers entered Thursday’s Western Conference playoff game in sixth place. They want to end the day in a better place. The only thing that stands in the way is traveling to Denver to face the Nuggets.
Los Angeles is a half-game behind Denver in the standings and just 1 1/2 games out of the No. 3 seed with more than five weeks remaining in the regular season. The Lakers face a Nuggets team that has won three straight and is still lacking key players.
Denver forward Aaron Gordon hasn’t played since Jan. 23 due to a hamstring injury. The injury kept guard Peyton Watson out of the lineup for a month. Although he will be sidelined for both games Thursday night, there is a chance Gordon could return Friday night against the New York Knicks.
Nuggets coach David Adelman has used several lineups to get through the absence, and he gained another asset Wednesday when the team signed David Roddy to a two-way contract. Roddy was drafted in the first round by Philadelphia in 2022 and has played in the league.
He gives the Nuggets additional wing depth with Watson, Gordon and forward Spencer Jones dealing with injuries. Denver has struggled defensively at times without Gordon and Watson, and their return will strengthen that side of the ball.
“They are very valuable players for us,” Denver center Jonas Valanciunas told reporters after Wednesday’s practice. “I think we’re all waiting for them to come back and see where we can go.”
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have helped the team get through some tough times recently. This season, Jokic is averaging 28.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 10.3 assists. His rebounds and assists lead the NBA.
Murray is averaging a career-high 25.7 points and was coming off a 45-point performance in Monday night’s win over Utah.
Los Angeles bounced back in the fourth quarter to beat New Orleans 110-101 on Tuesday night and will look to extend its four-game winning streak Thursday night. The Lakers are led by Luka Doncic, who is scoring 32.4 points, the NBA’s highest score, and LeBron James (21.6 points).
They won their first meeting with the Nuggets, with Jokic sidelined while recovering from a knee injury. Thursday night’s win clinches the season series in Los Angeles, with the final meeting between the teams set for March 14.
The Lakers won their first game 115-107 on January 20 despite Austin Reaves not being in the lineup. He missed 19 games due to a left calf injury. Reaves, who is second on Los Angeles in scoring with 23.8 points per game, was averaging 27.3 points per game before the injury.
Both teams have tough schedules to finish the season with, but Lakers guard Marcus Smart said the focus is on the present.
“We can’t afford to look ahead,” Smart said. “I think if we can stay the course and just focus on one game at a time, we can give ourselves a chance to do something and get into a good rhythm.”
–Field level media
