Nuggets at Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers' promising start to the season has morphed into one big heaping of perspective. The Lakers have lost four straight games and 20 of 25 since splitting their first 20 contests as they enter Tuesday's home meeting with the Denver Nuggets.
First-year coach Luke Walton will see signs that the Lakers are on the verge of getting things together and, just as quickly, will see his squad fall back into bad habits. "We don't know when we'll finally get over that hump and then stay over it," Walton told reporters. "We've gotten over it, and then we take a step or two back. I think that's pretty normal with most young teams in the NBA." Denver averaged 132.5 points in back-to-back wins over Indiana and Orlando, and it could be in line for another productive game against a Lakers' squad allowing an average of 114.3 during its skid. The Nuggets shot a season-best 58.4 percent in Monday's 125-112 victory over the Magic after recording a season high for points in Thursday's 140-112 rout of the Pacers in London.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (16-23): Promising center Nikola Jokic was superb in the two victories, averaging 26 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists while making 20-of-30 field-goal attempts. The 21-year-old scored a career-best 30 points against Orlando and also contributed 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals as he repeatedly stuns teammates with his uncanny passing ability for a big man. "It's fun to play with him," power forward Kenneth Faried told reporters after the win over the Magic. "He's a willing passer. He doesn't care who scores the points, as long as we're winning. That's a great player to play with."
ABOUT THE LAKERS (15-30): Veteran backup shooting guard Louis Williams scored 26 points in Sunday's 102-97 loss to Detroit for his second 20-point performance of the month. Williams averaged 21 points in December as he topped 20 on seven occasions -- including 35 or more three times -- but has dipped to 13.9 on 38.2 percent shooting over the first two-plus weeks of January. Power forward Julius Randle suddenly has dropped into his own funk by averaging three points on 3-of-13 shooting over the last two contests, and he has scored six or fewer in three of the past four games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Nuggets have won their last six contests against the Lakers in Los Angeles.
2. Los Angeles PG D'Angelo Russell scored 20 points against Detroit after averaging 7.7 on 9-of-34 shooting over his previous three games.
3. Denver SG Gary Harris (ankle) is expected to sit out after departing Monday's game, although X-rays were negative and ruled out a fracture.