Denver @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 3, 2019 ) L.A. Lakers 105, Denver 96

The Los Angeles Lakers closed out a five-game road trip with their first set of back-to-back losses this season and are intent on not letting the slide continue. The Lakers will try to get back into the win column when they return home on Sunday and host the Denver Nuggets.

Los Angeles was trying to go the entire season without back-to-back losses but fell at Indiana with star forward Anthony Davis on the bench before Davis limped through a 111-104 loss on Thursday in a showdown against the Milwaukee Bucks. "You want to make goals along the process, along the way, along the marathon," Lakers star LeBron James told reporters. "And for us to play exceptional basketball for the majority of this part of the season, it's commitment of focus, it's a commitment of what we're trying to do. Continue to get better and just be laser sharp for a majority of the process so far. So, we're just going to try to continue that." The Nuggets are one of the challengers to the Lakers atop the Western Conference and come in hot after knocking off Minnesota 109-100 on Friday to push their winning streak to five straight. "Really proud of our guys for going 5-0," Denver coach Michael Malone told reporters. "This is our first 5-0 homestand since 2012."

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, Altitude (Denver), Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles)

ABOUT THE NUGGETS (19-8): Denver dropped its last three and four of five on the road but breezed through the homestand behind center Nikola Jokic, who picked up his 33rd career triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists on Friday. Jokic recorded at least a double-double in each of the five games and two triple-doubles while averaging 22.6 points on 56.3 percent shooting, 10.8 rebounds and nine assists. The Nuggets also got a strong homestand from guard Jamal Murray, who started off slow before breaking out with 33 points in Wednesday's 113-104 triumph over Orlando and following with 28 points, six rebounds and five assists in Friday's triumph.

ABOUT THE LAKERS (24-5): Los Angeles just finished up a stretch with eight of nine on the road, which began with a 105-96 triumph at Denver on Dec. 3, and is staring ahead at a stretch that includes the visit from Denver and a Christmas Day meeting with the rival Los Angeles Clippers. "It doesn't get any easier for us, that's for sure," Lakers coach Frank Vogel told reporters. "We want to be pushed. We want to be challenged. That's the best way to sharpen what we're doing and really come together." Davis scored 36 points on Thursday despite the ankle injury and James recorded a triple-double with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in the setback.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Lakers F Kyle Kuzma (ankle) sat out the last five games and is questionable for Sunday.

2. Nuggets F Paul Millsap is averaging 13 points on 9-of-17 shooting - 2-of-3 from 3-point range - in two games since returning from a quad injury.

3. Davis and James each scored 25 points in the Dec. 3 win at Denver.

PREDICTION: Lakers 107, Nuggets 102