The Denver Nuggets were without the pair of point guard Jamal Murray and big man Nikola Jokic for the second game in a row, as the duo sat out Wednesday night’s road game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles against Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Murray is still dealing with an ankle injury while Jokic has ankle and elbow issues. But unlike in last Tuesday’s meeting with the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, the Nuggets failed to overcome the Lakers without Murray and Jokic.
Following the 120-108 loss to LA, Denver head coach Michael Malone shared that between Murray and Jokic, the guard is likelier to return to action first.
Via Vic Lombardi of AltitudeTV:
Michael Malone says Jamal Murray is closer to returning than Nikola Jokic. Hope to have one or both back for the Portland game Friday night. Joker has been dealing with elbow and shoulder issues for a couple weeks now.
Aaron Gordon shined amid Denver Nuggets’ loss to the Lakers
Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets again minus Murray and Jokic. After scoring 38 points in the Warriors game, the former Arizona Wildcats star racked up 26 points on 9-for-14 shooting from the floor. Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook, who had a triple-double versus Golden State, had 12 points, nine assists and four boards versus the Lakers.
Denver will take a rest this Thursday before continuing its road trip with a date with the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday. The Nuggets’ last stop in this trip is on Sunday against the Houston Rockets.
The Nuggets’ loss to Los Angeles also hurt their chances to score a higher seed in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. They are now fourth in the standings in the West with a 44-26 record – behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets and Lakers.
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