Is LeBron James playing tonight against the Nuggets? Latest injury update on Lakers' star ahead of matchup
LeBron James finished off another upset series victory last Friday and it was against the Golden State Warriors with a commanding score of 122-101. It was in the third quarter when the Lakers started to create some separation between themselves and the Warriors as they went into the fourth quarter with a 91-77 lead.
James had a 30-point outing on 10-14 shooting, including 2-3 from three-point range, along with 9 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals as he led the way for the Lakers at home.
With the Semifinal round over and done with, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will now face the number one seed in the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets. For Game 1 of the series, LeBron James is listed as probable with the anticipation that he'll still be ready to go and suit up.
In this matchup, Anthony Davis will have his hands full being matched up to one of the most elite big man in the game today, Nikola Jokic. Limiting Jokic on offense and defense will be key to the Lakers' success but also LeBron's level of production. James will need to deliver on both the offensive and defensive end for the Lakers with Davis handling his business down low against Jokic.
These are two giants on a head-to-head matchup with the Nuggets having the best offensive rating in the playoffs at 118.7, while the Lakers have the best defensive rating in the postseason at 106.5.
The Nuggets are nothing like the Warriors or the Grizzlies as they are comprised of young promising players, and quality veteran players and are also led by two All-Stars in Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. Their offense is no joke, as they move the ball well, with Jokic running point for the team at the top of the key with his dribble hand-offs and vision to set up teammates for quality looks.
LeBron James on the Denver Nuggets
Surprisingly, both conferences' remaining teams are the four conference finals teams from a few years ago during the bubble playoffs: the Lakers, Nuggets, Heat, and Celtics.
Following a team practice yesterday, LeBron James spoke to the media to give his thoughts on the matchup with Jokic and the Nuggets.
“They’re better (than they were), but they were great then,” James said. “And they’re great now. Joker has got two more years under his belt. Jamal (Murray) has gotten back to his regular form after the injury. And the rest of those guys are playing exceptional basketball. They’re a really, really, really, really good team."
It'll be intriguing to see how events unfold this time around in the much-anticipated conference finals between the two teams, given both have undergone roster changes and even coaching changes on the Lakers' end after the bubble playoffs.