The Los Angeles Lakers will be hoping to stave off elimination against the Denver Nuggets in NBA playoffs Game 5 at the Ball Arena on Monday night. Here’s a Denver Nuggets vs LA Lakers Prediction.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers needed to start strong if they wanted to stave off elimination and they did just that with a solid 119-108 wire to wire win over the Nuggets in Game 4 on Saturday. LeBron James led the team with 30 points on 14 of 23 shooting, Anthony Davis racked up 25 points with 23 rebounds and six assists while D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves scored 21 points apiece. As a team, the Lakers shot over 52 percent from the field and eight of 26 from the 3-point line as they played great defense from the start to keep the Nuggets in check and build a 19-point lead which was more than enough to hold off a late charge.
Denver Nuggets
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets must have thought it was going to be easy as they came out with no sense of urgency and quickly found themselves in trouble against the Lakers on Saturday. Nikola Jokic was terrific once again as he tallied a triple-double of 33 points with 14 rebounds and 14 assists, Michael Porter Jr added 27 points with 11 rebounds while Jamal Murray chipped in with 22 points, six rebounds and five assists. As a team, the Nuggets shot 44 percent from the field and nine of 30 from the 3-point line as they struggled to contain the Lakers early on and were always playing from behind after allowing 61 points in the first half. Aaron Gordon had a quiet game as he scored just seven points in 42 minutes of action while the bench combined for just five points.
Denver Nuggets Team Facts
- The Nuggets have won each of their last eight playoff home games against Pacific Division opponents.
- The Nuggets have failed to cover the spread in seven of their last eight Western Conference First Round games as favorites against Pacific Division opponents.
- Each of the Nuggets’ last 11 home games against Pacific Division opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
Los Angeles Lakers Team Facts
- The Lakers have lost each of their last seven games at Ball Arena.
- The underdogs have covered the spread in seven of the Lakers’ last eight playoff games.
- Each of the Lakers’ last eight games at Ball Arena following a home win have gone OVER the total points line.
Denver Nuggets vs LA Lakers Prediction
The Lakers were good enough to avoid the embarrassing sweep in front of their home fans. However, the Lakers are going to have to be at their best if they want to avoid elimination at the Ball Arena, where the Nuggets have been rock solid all season. We saw how good the Lakers can look if all their starters chip in with the scoring, but I don’t think we’re going to see that in Game 5. I expect the Nuggets’ role players to step up and give Jokic plenty of support to put away the Nuggets for good at home.