Their most recent meeting came in the 2009 Western Conference Finals, the same year the Lakers won the championship. However, the teams’ current rosters are dramatically different and this should be one exciting series.
Before the Lakers and Nuggets battle let’s take a look back at the top 10 Lakers vs. Nuggets Playoff Games
10: Game 3 1987 NBA Playoffs, Lakers-140 Nuggets-103
The Lakers finished off the Nuggets in a sweep, and did it in front of Denver’s home crowd. Los Angeles put up amazing numbers and the Nuggets had no answer for the incredible offensive scoring.
The Lakers had seven players in double-digits, led by Byron Scott with 25 points. Although Adbul-Jabbar put up only nine points in the game, the balanced attack was too much for Denver to handle and the Lakers advanced to the second round.
9: Game 3 1985 NBA Playoffs, Lakers 136 Nuggets 118
The Los Angeles Lakers were coming off a disappointing loss to the Nuggets in Game 2 in front of their fans. Denver managed to put up 136 points and it seemed as though they would take a 2-1 series lead.
However, the Magic Johnson-led-Lakers answered back strong and beat the Nuggets in the Mile High City, 136-118. It was a classic Johnson game as he recorded 14 rebounds and 15 assists, while Abdul-Jabbar had 27 points and James Worthy scored 28.
8: Game 5 1985 NBA Playoffs, Lakers 152 Nuggets 109
This was a classic Showtime Lakers basketball game, where the fastbreaks were plenty and the points came in a hurry. The Lakers had a chance to close out the series and head to the NBA Finals in front of their home fans, and they did just that.
The Lakers managed to score 42 points in the second quarter of this game, and the outcome was decided by halftime. After thumping the Nuggets in Game 5 in the Forum, the Lakers went on to play the Boston Celtics in the Finals. Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar completed the amazing season by beating their long-time rivals.
Next Page: Numbers Seven, Six and Five
The Lakers and Nuggets met again in the post-season just two seasons after their amazing 1987 series, but the outcome was the same. The Lakers opened the series with a dominating performance and sent a message to the Nuggets.
The Lakers had an impressive first half, putting up 39 points in the opening quarter and 43 in the second. Worthy led the Lakers in scoring with 28 points, followed by A.C. Green with 20. As for Magic Johnson, he neared a triple-double with 16 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds.
6: Game 4 2008 NBA Playoffs, Lakers-107 Nuggets-101
The Lakers played their first playoff series since the acquisition of Pau Gasol, and they were matched-up with an over-hyped Denver Nuggets team. The Nuggets came into the season with high expectations and many believed Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson could possibly make the team a title contender.
The Lakers dominated the first three games of the series, but had a little trouble closing out the Nuggets in Game 4. Denver was playing in front of its home-crowd, but the Lakers escaped with a narrow victory.
Kobe Bryant finished the game with 31 points, Lamar Odom had 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Gasol had 21 points.
5: Game 2 2009 NBA Playoffs, Nuggets-106 Lakers-103
The Denver Nuggets, led by Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, shocked many by taking Game 2 of the 2009 Western Conference Finals.
The Nuggets lost a tough one in Game 1, but their 14-point deficit in Game 2 did not faze them. The Nuggets made a furious run late in the first half and ended up beating the Lakers, 106-103. Anthony finished the game with 34 points and Kobe Bryant’s 32 points were not enough to take a 2-0 series lead.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yG0hjOjFYg
Next Page: Numbers Four and Three
4: Game 3 1979 NBA Playoffs, Lakers-112 Nuggets-111
Talk about a clutch Game 3; the NBA played a best of three series at this time and the Lakers and Nuggets played a heated game in Denver. The Nuggets were the favorites before the series started, but the Lakers managed to win in Los Angeles and tie the series in Game 2.
As for the final game, the Lakers and Nuggets played neck-and-neck for four quarters. Neither team was able to open up a large lead and the fate of both teams came down to the final minute. With the Lakers trailing, they put the ball in the hands of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to finish the game. The Captain hit a shot with 12 seconds remaining and helped the Lakers to a 112-111 win.
3: Game 3 2009 NBA Playoffs, Lakers-103 Nuggets-97
After the Denver Nuggets stole Game 2 in Los Angeles, the Lakers answered and took back home-court advantage with their Game 3 win.
Once again Kobe Bryant and Trevor Ariza came up huge for the Lakers. Bryant scored 41 points for the Lakers and just like in Game 1, Ariza had a key steal in the final minutes of the game.
The Lakers shot 60 percent from the field in the final period and Bryant’s 26 points in the second half helped the Lakers take a 2-1 series lead.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6lmyX9WCgE
Next Page: Numbers Two and One
2: Game 6 2009 NBA Playoffs, Lakers-119 Nuggets-92
The Lakers finished the 2009 Western Conference Finals with a bang, and took care of work in Denver. Unlike some of the games in the series, this one was a blow-out and the Lakers were determined to take care of business in six.
Kobe Bryant had an extremely efficient game has he shot 12-20 from the field, 9-9 from the free throw line, had 35 points, ten assists and a plus/minus of +31.
The Lakers beat the Nuggets in the series and advanced to the 2009 NBA Finals where they beat the Orlando Magic in five games.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1o5cReQSaw
1: Game 1 2009 NBA Playoffs, Lakers-105 Nuggets-103
In this game, the Denver Nuggets were the team that held a large lead, but the Lakers showed their veteran poise and pulled off a miracle win.
Kobe Bryant scored 18 points in the fourth quarter and propelled the Lakers to a tight 105-103 win. The Nuggets had a very quick start to the game, but the Lakers chipped away at the lead and made major strides.
Although Kobe was the closer for the Lakers, the game was iced after Trevor Ariza made a key steal and put the Lakers in the driver’s seat.
Bryant finished the game with 40 points and Anthony was right behind him with 39.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxNs3eknfXQ