Lakers have an instant opportunity to right past wrongs after Nuggets loss

Another season, another example of the Los Angeles Lakers looking lost against the Denver Nuggets. For the 13th time in 14 games, Los Angeles has fallen to Denver, with Nikola Jokic once again taking center stage against the team that eliminated him from the 2020 NBA Playoffs.

The Lakers will need to take inventory and figure out how they can crack the Nuggets' code, but an immediate opportunity for progress has arrived.

While the Lakers won't meet the Nuggets again until February 22, they'll face the Phoenix Suns on November 26. It'll be the third game between the Lakers and Suns in just over a month, as well as a perfect opportunity for a sour taste to be washed away.

The Lakers and Suns have thus far split the season series, with both teams blowing massive leads en route to stunning losses.

The purple and gold trailed by 22 points in the second quarter of the first meeting between the two sides in 2024-25, but ultimately came back to win 123-116. The next time around, Los Angeles got out to an 18-point lead only to fall 109-105 to Phoenix.

Revenge against Denver will have to wait, but the Lakers have a massive opportunity to right the ship and create positive momentum toward avoiding the Play-In Tournament.

Lakers-Suns will be equally as important as Lakers-Nuggets in 2024-25

The similarities between Los Angeles and Phoenix are too significant to overlook. Both teams boast top-heavy rosters that are built around All-Star and All-NBA mainstays, with a promising rookie on each side and hope that their depth can prove stronger than anticipated.

The 10-6 Lakers and 9-7 Suns are also on pace to battle for postseason positioning, meaning a win on November 26 could go a long way toward deciding their respective seeding.

Losses in November can be overcome, but dropping the tiebreak to a team that may match your record is far more of a challenge. There's still a game to be played between the two sides, but a Lakers win would give them the early advantage in the push for an edge in postseason seeding.

A loss would make the March 16 encounter between the two sides a legitimately essential encounter that provides no margin for error whatsoever.

With this in mind, the November 26 clash with Phoenix can be accurately described as one of the most important games of the 2024-25 season thus far. It could play a direct role in where Los Angeles ends up in the standings, as well as if it must go through the Play-In Tournament for a third consecutive season.

Moreover, it's an essential opportunity for the Lakers to get back to .500 on the road and potentially solidify the pace they've set for a 50-win season.

Los Angeles has been consistently inconsistent up to this point, with winning streaks of three and six games, and three different stretches of back-to-back losses. A win over Phoenix would prevent the team from dropping three in a row, and thus continuing the trend of digging itself holes to climb out of.

It's tough to put too much stock into a November encounter, but if the Lakers are going to overcome the Nuggets in 2025, they'll need to start with gaining the advantage over the Suns.