Lakers Nuggets: A Preview of the Upcoming Game

Few Western Conference matchups have changed as much as Lakers vs Nuggets. For most of NBA history, Los Angeles owned this series. Then Denver built a team around Nikola Jokić, swept the Lakers on its way to a title, and turned a one-sided story into a real fight.

Both teams now head into 2026-27 with fresh looks, and the first Lakers Nuggets game shows up in the October preseason. Here’s a look at the head-to-head record, the playoff history, the latest results, and what you should watch when they meet again.

Lakers vs Nuggets Head to Head: The All-Time Numbers

Start with the big picture. When you look at LA Lakers vs Denver Nuggets across the full history, the Lakers had won 117 of 199 regular-season meetings through early 2026, and the Nuggets had won 82. The playoffs look similar.

The two teams have met in nine postseason series, and the Lakers have taken seven of them. In individual games, Los Angeles leads 26-16 across those series. The Lakers’ biggest win in the matchup came on May 22, 1985, a 153-109 home game that they took by 44 points.

Streaks show how the rivalry has shifted. The Lakers once beat Denver 12 straight times between 1989 and 1992. The Nuggets’ longest run is 11 straight wins, which began in January 2023 and stretched into the 2024 playoffs. These totals come from public trackers updated in early 2026, so the Lakers’ overtime win in March 2026 comes on top of them.

How the Rivalry Changed Hands

The Lakers’ Long Run

The early edge belonged to Los Angeles. The Lakers beat Denver in the 1985 Western Conference Finals and kept winning the series that counted. They took the 2009 conference finals in six games, survived a seven-game first-round series in 2012, and beat the Nuggets again in the 2020 conference finals on the way to the bubble championship.

Denver Takes Over

Then the direction flipped. In 2023, the Nuggets swept the Lakers 4-0 in the conference finals and went on to win the first title in franchise history. In 2024, they knocked the Lakers out again, 4-1 in the first round. Los Angeles hasn’t beaten Denver in a playoff series since 2020, and that’s why every Nuggets vs Lakers game still carries a little extra weight.

Recent Games Between the Two Teams

The regular-season games since then have stayed close. In 2024-25, the teams split their four meetings. One of those was a March 2025 game in Los Angeles, where Luka Dončić scored 21 of his 31 points in the first quarter and the Lakers won 120-108 while Jokić and Jamal Murray sat out with injuries.

The 2025-26 season gave fans a memorable one. On March 14, 2026, the Lakers beat the Nuggets 127-125 in overtime. Dončić finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists and hit the game-winning jumper.

Austin Reaves added 32 points. Jokić answered with 24 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists for his 27th triple-double of the season, but Murray fouled out early in overtime after a 1-for-14 night. That win gave the Lakers the season series and the tiebreaker over Denver.

Neither team went far in the playoffs after that. Denver finished 54-28 and lost a six-game first-round series to Minnesota, and the Lakers were swept by Oklahoma City.

Why This Matchup Still Matters

Some of it comes down to style. Both teams run their offense through one playmaking star who rarely rushes. Jokić and Dončić both like to slow the game down, read the defense, and pick it apart with passes or step-back shots. That makes these games tricky to predict, because whichever star finds a rhythm first can set the pace for everyone else.

Location plays a part too. Denver sits about a mile above sea level, and visiting teams often say the thin air shows up late in games, so the Lakers have to manage minutes carefully on those nights.

The two teams also share a conference, which means their results feed straight into seeding. Last season, four Western teams were bunched together at 41 wins in mid-March, and the Lakers’ tiebreaker over Denver was a real part of that race.

What the Rosters Look Like

Lakers

The Lakers had a summer that changed almost everything. LeBron James told the team he wouldn’t return and later signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. Los Angeles now builds around Dončić, last season’s scoring leader, and kept Reaves on a new contract.

The front office also added 7-foot-2 center Walker Kessler, along with Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Matisse Thybulle. JJ Redick enters his third year as head coach. Only Reaves remains from the seven players who logged the most minutes in last year’s playoffs, so chemistry will take time.

Nuggets

Denver kept its core together. Jokić, a three-time MVP, still runs the offense, with Murray and Aaron Gordon beside him, and David Adelman is the head coach. The Nuggets did lose Peyton Watson in a sign-and-trade with Cleveland, and Tim Hardaway Jr. signed with Miami, so the bench looks a little different. Even so, Denver has much more continuity than Los Angeles heading into the season.

Matchups to Watch

The first one is Kessler against Jokić. Kessler protects the rim, and Jokić is one of the best passing big men the league has seen, so that battle will shape how Denver attacks. Kessler played only five games last season before shoulder surgery, so his health matters as much as his fit.

The second is Dončić against Denver’s defense. He has hurt the Nuggets before, and they have to decide whether to send extra help to him and risk leaving Reaves and the new shooters open. The third is Murray, who hit some of the biggest shots in the 2023 and 2024 series and also had that 1-for-14 night in March. When he’s sharp, Denver is hard to beat.

When the Lakers and Nuggets Play in 2026-27

The first meeting is the preseason finale on Friday, October 16, at Crypto.com Arena. Preseason games rarely tell you much, since starters play limited minutes. The four regular-season games come on December 19 in Denver, December 23 in Los Angeles, February 12 in Los Angeles, and February 26 in Denver. Tip times can change, so check the NBA schedule closer to each date.

FAQs

Who leads the Lakers vs Nuggets head to head?

The Lakers do, in both the regular season and the playoffs. They won 117 of 199 regular-season meetings through early 2026 and seven of nine playoff series, although the Nuggets have won the last two.

Who won the last playoff series between the Nuggets and Lakers?

The Nuggets did, 4-1 in the first round of the 2024 playoffs. They also swept the Lakers in the 2023 conference finals.

What was the score of the Lakers Nuggets game on March 14, 2026?

The Lakers won 127-125 in overtime. Dončić had a triple-double and made the winning shot.

Is LeBron James still with the Lakers?

No. He told the team on June 30 that he wouldn’t be back, and he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. He returns to Los Angeles with his new team on Christmas Day.

Final Thoughts

The Lakers still lead the history, but Denver owns the recent past. Whether Dončić and a rebuilt Lakers roster can flip that depends on health and how quickly the new pieces click. Denver has Jokić and a steady core, so many will see it as the steadier side. Either way, the December and February games will tell you more than any preseason forecast. For more sports explainers like this one, keep an eye on BharatStories.