Here is what you need to know before the Lakers take on the Denver Nuggets.
1) Jordan Hill has reached a double-double in five consecutive games. Hill leads the team and is tied for fifth in the league with seven double-doubles this season.
2) Denver head coach Brian Shaw played the final four years of his career for the Lakers, whom he won three championships with (2000-02). Shaw also served as a Lakers assistant coach from 2005 through 2011 and won two more NBA titles in 2009 and 2010.
3) Both the Lakers and Nuggets have been hurt by free throws more than any other team this year. Denver has allowed opponents to shoot (29.5) and make (22.4) the most free throws per game. L.A. is second in both categories, as opponents are averaging 28.5 free throw attempts and 22.0 made foul shots.
4) The Lakers have lost six consecutive games to Denver, with their last win coming on Nov. 30, 2012. Defense was the central problem for L.A. last season, as it allowed Denver to surpass 110 points in all three games and 130 points in two.
5) Despite this recent lack of success, the Lakers have historically fared well at home against the Nuggets. Since the 1996-97 season, the Lakers are 26-6 against Denver in Los Angeles.
6) Wayne Ellington, Ed Davis and Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson were all teammates on the 2009 North Carolina team that won the NCAA championship. Lawson (16.6) and Ellington (15.8) were second and third among Tar Heels in scoring, while Davis was second in rebounds (6.6). The Toronto Raptors’ Tyler Hansbrough was first in both categories.
7) Lawson leads the league in drives to the hoop per game (14.3), and he creates more points for his team on drives (16.1) than any other player. Lawson is tied for just 20th in individual points on drives (5.0), meaning he sets up his teammates for 9.3 points on drives per game.
8) Backup center JaVale McGee leads the Nuggets in player efficiency rating (18.9). However, his PER ranks just 68th in the league. Kenneth Faried has Denver’s next-highest rating at 18.7 (72nd overall).
9) The Nuggets slumped out of the gates to start the season 1-6 after allowing 111.1 points during their first seven games. But they have recently turned their fortunes around, going 4-1 since. In this five-game stretch, Denver is yielding just 98.0 points per game.
10) Denver’s games have been essentially decided after two quarters. All five of the Nuggets’ wins have come when leading at the half, and all seven of their losses have stemmed from halftime deficits.