Nuggets at Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers spent the first week-plus of February on the road as the Grammy Awards took over their arena and should be happy to return after suffering through an 0-4 trip. The Lakers will host the similarly struggling Denver Nuggets when they return Tuesday. The Nuggets are enduring the second night of a back-to-back after posting their sixth straight loss with a 124-114 home setback to Oklahoma City on Monday.
Los Angeles battled through overtime losses at Milwaukee and Orlando before being crushed 120-105 in Cleveland on Sunday to finish out the trip. The Lakers earned a 123-118 overtime victory over the Chicago Bulls in their last home game on Jan. 29, which marked their only win in the last 14 contests. Denver is in the same rut as Los Angeles with losses in 13 of its last 14 games and will need to fix some holes on the defensive end after allowing the Thunder to go off at 53.8 percent from the floor.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT, TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (19-33): If Denver is looking for positives from its latest setback, then the offense is a good place to start. The Nuggets averaged 89 points in the previous six games before breaking out with three 20-point scorers in the loss to the Thunder. Ty Lawson went 8-of-12 from the field and 5-of-7 from beyond the arc in that game and is averaging 21.7 points on 59 percent shooting in the last three games after putting up 7.3 points in the previous four contests.
ABOUT THE LAKERS (13-38): The lone positive in a season that may end up being the worst in franchise history is the development of the young players. Rookie point guard Jordan Clarkson moved into the starting lineup late last month and has scored in double figures in five of the last six games, capped by a season-best 20 points in Sunday’s loss. “They're a young, still-learning, very inexperienced group,” Los Angeles coach Byron Scott told reporters. “I’ve got to look at the light at the end of the tunnel, and in present day, right now, these guys are gaining valuable experience that’s gonna help us in the long run.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The road team has taken each of the first two meetings this season, with the Nuggets earning a 101-94 overtime win in Los Angeles on Nov. 23.
2. Denver G Jameer Nelson (Achilles) has missed the last three games and remains day-to-day.
3. Los Angeles F Ed Davis is averaging 11.7 rebounds over the last three games.