Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

Lakers Get Encouraging Update Before NBA Playoffs

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Apr 10, 2026 8:06 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers finally got a win on Thursday night. LeBron James led a hobbled Lakers side to a much-needed 119-103 victory against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.

James willed his side to a win with 26 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists. The 41-year-old had to carry a much heavier load with both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined with significant injuries.

The Lakers improved to 51-29 after beating the Warriors. As of writing, they are just one game behind the Denver Nuggets for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. The Nuggets, however, are riding a 10-game winning streak.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) controls the ball under pressure from Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23).© Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Both the Lakers and the Nuggets are in action on Friday night. It’s a back-to-back for L.A. as they host the Phoenix Suns at Crypto.com Arena. The Nuggets, on the other hand, face the Oklahoma City Thunder at home.

Nuggets head coach David Adelman announced a major update right before their game against the defending champions tipped off. The team has decided to give its entire starting lineup the night off.

Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun have all been ruled out for injury management purposes.

This puts Denver at a significant disadvantage against OKC, which, incidentally, is also resting its key players on Friday night.

Nevertheless, this is an encouraging development for the Lakers. A loss for the Nuggets and a win for the Lakers on Friday will result in a 52-29 record for both sides.

L.A. owns the tie-breaker against Denver after winning the season series, 2-1. This means that the Lakers will secure the No. 3 seed if their records are tied at the end of the regular season.

It is important to note that both teams have one more game after Friday. Both sides return to action on Sunday. The Lakers host the Utah Jazz (currently 21-59) at home. The Nuggets face a bigger challenge in their season finale, battling the San Antonio Spurs (currently 61-19) on the road.

The NBA playoffs are scheduled to begin on April 18.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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