Whether or not they'd admit it, the Los Angeles Lakers have had their next game circled on the calendar since it was first announced in August. Yes, it's only November, but on Saturday, November 23, the Lakers will face the Denver Nuggets for the first time during the 2024-25 regular season.
As the Lakers prepare for their first encounter with Nikola Jokic and company, first-year head coach JJ Redick will have a golden opportunity to solidify the arrival of a new culture in Los Angeles.
Denver and Los Angeles have met in the playoffs three times since 2020. The Lakers got the best of their rivals during the initial matchup, with franchise player Anthony Davis helping to contain Nikola Jokic and send the purple and gold to the NBA Finals—as well as an eventual championship.
Unfortunately, the Nuggets have eliminated the Lakers from the playoffs in each of the past two seasons—winning eight of the nine postseason games between them.
Davis and LeBron James exacted a measure of revenge at the 2024 Summer Olympics when they led Team USA past Jokic and Serbia to reach the Gold Medal Game. Los Angeles is still operating in Denver's shadow, however, and that won't change until they overcome their foes when it matters most.
A win in November won't necessarily change the narrative, but it could give the Lakers the confidence to believe they can finally overcome the Nuggets if they meet in the playoffs for a third consecutive season.
Lakers vs. Nuggets is the biggest test for JJ Redick's Lakers thus far
Denver and Los Angeles enter this game in similar situations. Both teams have MVP candidates in Davis and Jokic, as well as deep and talented starting lineups with young players operating in crucial roles off the bench—including the Nuggets' Peyton Watson and the Lakers' Dalton Knecht.
They're also within reach of one another in the standings at this early juncture of the season, which further illustrates how important this game truly is.
Denver is a walking 50-win season with Jokic on the court, with 110 wins between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. Los Angeles, meanwhile, is looking to reach that elusive plateau for the first time since it went 52-30 during its championship season in 2019-20.
Unfortunately, both teams' ambitions have been impacted by injuries, with defensive specialists Aaron Gordon and Jarred Vanderbilt both missing extended time.
For all of the caveats and comparisons, only one fact truly prevails as essential: Denver has Los Angeles' number. The Nuggets have won four consecutive regular-season games over the Lakers, as well as 12 of the past 13 meetings between the two sides including the playoffs.
That's an astonishing level of dominance that Redick and the Lakers must put an end to as quickly possible—and there may not be a better opportunity to do so than on Saturday.
Denver is coming off of a Friday encounter with the Dallas Mavericks, meaning Los Angeles is catching it on the second leg of a back-to-back. That provides an incredible advantage in the Lakers' favor, which must be capitalized on to set a strong tone for the rest of the season.
Los Angeles will play Denver four times during the 2024-25 regular season, but with the rematch not coming until February 22, it's as close to a must-win game as you'll find in November.