The Denver Nuggets have a chance to go up 2-0 in the first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. Teams that take the first two games of an NBA playoff series end up winning that series 92.7 percent of the time.
Here's the injury report for Monday's pivotal Game 2.
INJURY REPORT
Denver:
Vlatko Čančar — OUT (Left Knee Surgery)
Los Angeles:
Anthony Davis — PROBABLE (Low Back Soreness)
Jalen Hood-Schifino — OUT (Lumbar Disc Surgery)
LeBron James — PROBABLE (Left Ankle Peroneal Tendinopathy)
Cam Reddish — OUT (Right Ankle Sprain)
Jarred Vanderbilt — OUT (Right Midfoot Sprain)
Christian Wood — OUT (Left Knee Surgery)
Denver took a commanding 1-0 lead in the potential seven-game series on Saturday with a 114-103 victory. Los Angeles had a strong start as LeBron James scored 12 points in the first quarter alone, but the Nuggets hit the offensive glass relentlessly to even the score. Denver won the rebounding battle, 49-40, and grabbed 15 offensive boards.
Nikola Jokić led the charge with 32 points on 15-of-23 shooting, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists. This was Jokić's 27th playoff game with at least 30 points out of the 69 games he's played in. Nikola always levels up for the postseason.
Jamal Murray had a double-double with 22 points and 10 assists. Aaron Gordon also had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Nuggets tallied 27 total assists and turned it over just 4 times. Murray and Jokić accounted for 17 of those assists and did not turn it over once.
James finished with 27 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds. Anthony Davis led the Lakers in scoring with 32 points and 14 rebounds. We'll see if that was Los Angeles' best punch, at least from their two best players, or if they've got another level to hit.
TUNE-IN: Monday 8:00 p.m. MT, Altitude TV and TNT/TruTV, and Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM