Nuggets at Lakers
The Denver Nuggets are thriving whenever they visit the Los Angeles Lakers and aim to post their eighth consecutive road victory in the series when the teams meet on Tuesday. Denver recorded a 127-121 victory in Los Angeles on Jan. 17 to continue its recent success against the Lakers at the Staples Center.
The Nuggets are currently recording victories in many cities as they have won three straight contests and seven of their past nine. Emerging center Nikola Jokic recorded nine double-doubles this month while fueling Denver's rise but will sit out his second straight game due to a hip flexor. The Lakers are sinking near the bottom of the Western Conference with three consecutive defeats and eight in their past nine outings. Power forward Julius Randle (pneumonia) didn't practice Monday after a one-game absence and he is listed as questionable.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (21-25): Veteran guard Jameer Nelson has been a solid contributor during the three-game winning streak and coach Mike Malone cites him as a prime factor in the club's nine-game hot stretch. "He has the trust and respect of every one of his teammates," Malone told reporters. "And as he's played lately -- we're 7-2 in our last nine -- he has played phenomenal basketball. He's making key, clutch plays that veterans make, so I'm happy for him. He's been outstanding for us, and obviously we hope he continues to do that." The 34-year-old Nelson is averaging nine points and 4.7 assists while playing in all 46 games -- his most contests since he played 68 games with the Orlando Magic in 2013-14.
ABOUT THE LAKERS (16-34): Second-year point guard D'Angelo Russell (knee, calf) could return from a three-game absence and is listed as questionable to play against the Nuggets. The Lakers averaged 86.3 points while losing all three games Russell has missed, and coach Luke Walton is anxious to see him back on the floor. "We expect him to play. It's not like we don't think he can penetrate teams' defenses or anything like that," Walton told reporters on Monday. "If he's cleared to play, we expect what we'd always expect out of him."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Jokic recorded 29 points and 15 rebounds in the Jan. 17 win over the Lakers.
2. Los Angeles rookie C Ivica Zubic averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds while registering back-to-back double-doubles.
3. Denver PG Emmanuel Mudiay (back) will miss his fifth consecutive contest.