A Dip In The Lake: The Lakers’ playoff history versus the Nuggets

A look back at the past matchups of the Lakers and the Nuggets in the NBA playoffs.

Editor’s Note: Our moderator BeautifulLakes elected to do a deep dive on the history of the Lakers and Nuggets in the NBA playoffs as the two sides are set to square off in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. While everyone remains the 2023 Western Conference Finals, the history is much deeper than that.

1979 Western Conference First Round

In 1979, the first round of the playoffs was a best-of-three series. After the Nuggets won Game 1 and the Lakers took Game 2, it set up a pivotal Game 3 in Denver, which is the only time the Nuggets has had homecourt advantage against the Lakers.

The Nuggets all had their starters score in double figures, with David Thompson leading the way with 28 points. However, it was the continued scoring of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamal Wilkes and Adrian Dantley — each had at least 23 points — that allowed the Lakers to win the series.

1985 Western Conference Finals

In a best-of-seven series in the Western Conference Finals, the top-seeded Lakers beat the second-seeded Nuggets in five games. Alex English played extremely well for the Nuggets for three games but was hurt and missed the final two

Despite the great individual efforts by English, however, the Lakers won two of the three games he was available in before going on to win the NBA championship against the Celtics.

1987 Western Conference First Round

Once again the Lakers and Nuggets faced each other in the first round. This time the Lakers were the first seed, and the Nuggets were the eighth seed. In 1987, the first round was a best-of-five series, and the Lakers swept the Nuggets in three games, winning two of the games in blowout fashion.

2008 Western Conference First Round

Now we’re in a totally different era from the first three playoff matchups. This was the Kobe Bryant vs. Carmelo Anthony, a series of fires on and off the court, offensive juggernauts and duos.

In Game 1, the Nuggets almost didn’t make it to the Staples Center on time as there was a fire on their team bus on the way to the arena. Nobody was hurt, and it didn’t really seem to affect the Nuggets that much because Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony scored 30 each. Pau Gasol, meanwhile, had a huge game with 36 points, 8 assists, 16 rebounds and three blocks to lead the Lakers to a win

Game 2 was a Kobe classic. He scored 49 points and 10 assists in the victory. Game 3 was another blowout with the Nuggets only scoring 84 points, their third-lowest scoring output of the year, including the regular season.

Game 4 was close, but the Lakers ultimately secured a sweep. This was just the start of the Lakers vs. Nuggets matchups in this era, however. The 2008 Lakers would go on to the NBA Finals, but lose to the Celtics.

2009 Western Conference Finals

With a returning Andrew Bynum and a newcomer in Trevor Ariza joining with Kobe, Pau and Lamar Odom, the Lakers were primed to make a title run. But first, they’d have to go through the new-look Nuggets, with Iverson traded to the Pistons for Chauncey Billups and some added size with Chris “Birdman” Anderson.

The focus of the offense was still Carmelo with a more defensive point guard in Billups, but one who could also score as well. It was looking to be a more competitive series than last year’s sweep. And it was, but the Lakers still won in six.

Game 1 started with an offensive flurry, with Carmelo Anthony scoring 39 and Kobe getting 40, but what I remember this game for was the steal by Ariza to secure the win. This would be a running theme for this series.

Game 2 was a duel between the stars of the team in Kobe and Melo. Nothing else needs to be said. The Nuggets won. Game 3 was interesting, as Kobe was putting the team on his back while the Nuggets had a well-balanced effort.

However, while Kobe did get 41 points, he eventually did get some help from Pau and Trevor Ariza offensively and defensively. Once again, Ariza got the steal to close out the game for the Lakers.

The Lakers won at Staples and the Nuggets won at the Pepsi Center in Games 4 and 5, respectively, but in Game 6, the Lakers just took care of business with a dominant 119-92 win.

2012 Western Conference First Round

This series is close chronologically but also far removed from the Melo era, as he was gone to the Knicks. This was the sixth-seeded Nuggets against the three-seeded Lakers, a young and rebuilding group featuring two bench centers who would eventually become Lakers: Timofey Mozgov and JaVale McGee.

AD

The Lakers, meanwhile, had Mike Brown as head coach with Darvin Ham as an assistant coach on his staff.

The 2010 championship core was traded away and simply mismanaged while Kobe was on his last legs and putting everything on his back. The only players remaining from that 2010 title core were Bryant, Bynum, Derek Fisher, Gasol, Luke Walton, and Metta World Peace.

The series was closer than it had any right to be, but the Lakers’ struggles with young legs were a harbinger of their loss in the next round.

The Nugget series would go seven games and while the Lakers won, they were of gas, losing to the Thunder in the next round.

2020 Western Conference Finals

“Lakers in 5” was the running theme for 2020 as they beat the Trail Blazers and Rockets in five games to get to the Denver matchup while the Nuggets were the kings of seven-game comebacks, winning their prior two series vs. the Jazz and Clippers despite falling behind 3-1 to start each.

The Lakers won Game 1 126-114. Game 2 was a defensive matchup, with a final score of 105-103 that featured an especially tight finish.

Game 3 was about Anthony Davis and LeBron James scoring 57 points combined and not getting much help, while the Nuggets were more well-rounded in their scoring with Jokic scoring 22, Murray with 28 and key contributions by Jerami Grant and Monte Morris with 26 and 14, respectively.

After Game 3, head coach Frank Vogel made an adjustment and started Dwight Howard over JaVale McGee, essentially reducing the rotation to nine players. In the next two games, Davis and LeBron took turns scoring on this fragile Nuggets defense before closing them out in five.

The Lakers would go on to win against the Miami Heat in six games to claim their 17th championship.

2023 Western Conference Finals

After the Lakers' success in defeating the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals and utilizing a three-guard lineup to close out that series, Coach Ham decided to carry the momentum of the last Warriors game and started with Dennis Schröder, D’Angelo Russell, and Austin Reaves.

The Nuggets ran away with Game 1 in the first quarter, 44-27. The Lakers had a frantic comeback in the fourth and did cut it to three points in the last two minutes but were unable to get the lead in the closing minute.

The Lakers changed the starting lineup in Game 2 with Jarred Vanderbilt replacing Schröder. The Lakers started hot the first few minutes and led for most of the second quarter and led by five at the half. The Lakers kept the momentum going to start the third quarter and opened a 68-57 lead with 6:31 left in the 3rd.

In the fourth, though, the Nuggets could not miss as the Nuggets took a 90-84 lead. While LeBron and AD had their chances, Murra iced the game away at the free throw line in the tight affair as Denver took a 2-0 series lead.

The next two games were in Los Angeles, but had the same results. Denver again controlled Game 3 and while the Lakers made it close in the third, the Nuggets pulled away in the fourth tot win 119-103.

In Game 4, something had to change to turn the Lakers fortunes around. That change was starting Schroeder over D’Lo and Rui starting over Vando. The new lineup started the game well on both sides of the ball.

LeBron did everything he could in the game, played nearly the entire 48 minutes but the result was all the same as the Nuggets earned a 113-111 win to sweep the Lakers.

The Nuggets would go on to win the 2023 NBA Finals versus the Heat.

Long story short, there is a lot of history to dig into in the mountains and lakes of history between these two franchises, and it will be fascinating to see this latest chapter.

When I am not posting ridiculous trades on here you can find me talking about Nintendo, LGBT content, music, and the Lakers on my Twitter. You can follow Alexis on Twitter at @BeautifulShy_RS.