LOS ANGELES — A postseason without ?
That wouldn’t bother the Nuggets in the least.
As the Nuggets traverse their own difficult schedule en route to their first playoff appearance since 2013, Denver wouldn’t mind if James, the author of eight consecutive NBA Finals appearances, was left on the outside looking in.
“Itap shocking to see that,” Nuggets veteran said. “LeBron’s always been a guy who gets in the playoffs. Thatap where he makes his name. To see it, itap a little shocking. To me, I don’t care. Tonight hopefully we get out there, stick a fork in him, and they’ll be done.”
Since James returned from a groin injury, the Lakers have gone 3-8 entering Wednesday’s matchup against Denver. That, along will the fallout from the Anthony Davis trade rumors, has left the Lakers plummeting in the standings and sitting 5 1/2 games behind No. 8 seed San Antonio with just 18 games left.
“Itap new territory,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone, who coached James in Cleveland as an assistant.
“Very rarely have you ever seen one of LeBron’s teams struggle the way they have,” he added. “A lot goes into it. The injuries that they’ve had. Itap not easy. Like I always use one of our strengths is our continuity. Well, this team (the Lakers) doesn’t have much continuity. They got LeBron, then they grabbed a bunch of guys on one-year deals, ‘Letap try to put this together’ and thatap hard. The NBA is hard, itap unforgiving. Thatap been a challenge for the entire Lakers organization. LeBron’s a great player. I’m sure they’re going to figure this thing out at some point. Hopefully not tonight.”
Riding a three-game losing streak, the Nuggets have their own problems. If the Lakers were closer in the standings, perhaps Wednesday’s result would carry more implications for Denver as it sizes up potential first-round playoff opponents. But as it currently stands, even with Houston surging, Utah, San Antonio and the remain the most likely early playoff matchups.
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