D'Angelo Russell, Lakers Trade News
Jan 14, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (1) reaches for the ball between LA Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute (12) and guard Austin Rivers (25) during the NBA game at the Staples Center. USA TODAY Sports / Richard Mackson

The Los Angeles Lakers (15-30), a young squad on a four-game losing streak, will host the Denver Nuggets (16-23) at the Staples Center Tuesday in a game between evenly-matched teams.

The Nuggets, on a two-game winning streak, could potentially replace the Portland Trail Blazers (18-25) as the eighth seed in the western conference if they can notch up their seventh consecutive victory in Los Angeles. Denver hasn't lost a game at the Staples Center dating back to Nov. 30, 2012. The Nuggets haven't lost a regular season series to their conference rivals since the 2011-12 season when Lakers won three out of four meetings.

Going by recent history, the Nuggets should start as favourites. However, the young Lakers team has thrown up a few surprises this season, notching up victories against top teams such as the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and the Memphis Grizzlies. Despite their recent string of defeats, the Lakers have stayed competitive for at least two thirds of the games until the inexperience factor derails their hopes of closing out teams.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Denver Nuggets: Luke Walton’s team struggling to win close games

During Sunday's 102-97 loss to Detroit Pistons, the Lakers committed a whopping 15 turnovers which proved to be the decisive factor in the final box score. After the defeat, Luke Walton, a rookie head coach, admitted that his team was still learning to limit mistakes during crucial junctures of a game. "We all know we got a young team here. Down the stretch, we are playing teenagers, 20-year-olds, 21-year-olds, and this is a grown man's league. Are we good enough to win? Absolutely we are, but it takes making mistakes.

"There is no formula that tells you this is exactly what happens. Different people get it at different times. Some people never get it, and some get it right away. I'm very confident that as a group we are going to get it and our young guys are going to figure it out," Walton said, via ESPN.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets, just like the Lakers, are a lacklustre defensive unit, conceding 111.2 points per game which ranks No. 28 in the league. However, they have been scoring at a rapid pace in recent weeks, averaging 132.5 points over their last two games including a 125-112 victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday.

With second-year point guard registering a career-high tally of 13 assists and 18 points, the Nuggets had 33 dimes as their offense clicked all cylinders. Centre Nikola Jokic was once again the star of the show, finishing with a career-high tally of 30 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists.

Forward Kenneth Faried, back in the starting line-up, is thrilled to play alongside a big man who can pass, dribble and shoot, a rare skill set for centres. "It's fun to play with him. He's a willing passer. He doesn't care who scores the points as long as we're winning. That's a great player to play with," said Faried, who finished with 20 points and 5 rebounds.

This game will mark the first of three regular-season encounters between the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets. The Lakers will once again host the Nuggets on Jan. 31 before visiting the Mile-High city on Mar. 13 for the third and final game.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Denver Nuggets live stream: How to watch

Start time: 10:30 PM (ET), 7:30 PM (PT), 1:30 PM on Wednesday (AEST), 2:30 PM (AEDT)
On TV: NBA TV, Time Warner Sports Net, Altitude Sports (USA)
Live Stream: NBA League Pass (Global), NBA TV (Global)

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