The Los Angeles Lakers have been on the road plenty over the last month, playing 12 of their last 15 games on the road, but Sunday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets will be a game played in a new territory despite it being played under the stage lights at Staples Center.
For the first time this season, the Lakers will likely be without LeBron James as he is considered doubtful for the game with a thoracic muscle strain. But while LeBron’s mid-back issue should keep him up out Sunday, it sounds like the Lakers are much more sure of themselves in this situation than the much younger Lakers were last year.
The Lakers may also feel like they have something to prove without James in the fold. James is leading the NBA in assists and has been the fulcrum of everything the Lakers do offensively but Sunday could give other Lakers the opportunity to show their stuff, such as Rajon Rondo and Kyle Kuzma in addition to star forward Anthony Davis.
The Lakers can also look back to their last meeting against Denver with encouragement. Back on Dec. 3 in Denver, the Lakers won 105-96 as they were able to score at will down the stretch of the game against an otherwise strong defense.
Without James, it will certainly be harder but at home with a mostly healthy team outside of LeBron, the Lakers should still be in a good position to avoid losing three straight losses for the first time this season.