With the NBA regular season rapidly heading towards its conclusion, the Lakers find themselves in a puddle to get out of. While still being behind the 8th placed Mavs by 2 games, the Lakers are not doing themselves any favors.
After the recent loss to the Domantas Sabonis-led Kings, a steep task is ahead of the gold and purple brigade. But there are believers in them and the belief is strong enough to push the Lakers through right in front of a familiar foe.
Stacey King pits Lakers against Nuggets in WC Finals
The former NBA center Stacey King has made a bold statement, predicting the finalists of the 2024 Western Conference Finals.
With a couple of weeks left for the NBA regular season to get over, the predictions of the conference finals have started to pop up. According to the 3-time NBA champion, the LA Lakers could face the Denver Nuggets in the conference finals considering their performance lately. “I would not be surprised if you see Denver [Nuggets] and the Lakers in the Western Conference [Finals]” said the 57-year-old.
The Lakers are in the 9th position on the Western table and will qualify for the Play-Ins in the off-season but there is still optimism. The two teams have faced off in the last campaign finals, with each game of the series being fiercely competitive and ending with the Nuggets crowned as the champions. The trend has continued this season as well, with the Nuggets dominating the Lakers in all the matchups.
Nuggets’ clean sweep over the Lakers in 2023 WC Finals
Last season, the Lakers faced the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. After a 43-29 record in the regular season, the Lakers were not a favorite to reach the Finals. But the LA-based franchise has a habit of turning the tide in the most unexpected of ways.
After dispatching the Grizzlies and the Warriors in the first two playoff rounds with similar 4-2 series results, the Lakers came face-to-face with the juggernaut of the Nuggets.
The Western Conference Finals, though, were a complete demolition job by the Nuggets. They blew the Lakers away with a 4-0 series win, prolonging the Lakers’ 3-year wait for the championship. The Nuggets won the first game of the series on May 16, 2023, 132-126. The duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray posted 34 and 31 points, respectively.
The next game was a closer affair, with the Denver side prevailing 108-103. Another Murray masterclass and a Jokic triple-double secured a 2-0 series lead. On May 20, 2023, the third game of the series was played at the Crypto.com Arena but the road win was secured by the Nuggets with another 37-point performance from Jamal Murray.
In the decisive tie of the series, LeBron James put up a monstrous 40-points display but the Lakers missed out on the series after a two-point loss in an enthralling game that ended 113-111. This season, the Lakers can have another shot at revenge but the road to redemption will be decided in the next 15 games, where the Nuggets will have a chance to inflict another 4-0 blow after winning the 3 previous matchups between the two this season.
