"zone name","placement name","placement id","code (direct link)" diurnalnews365.blogspot.com,SocialBar_1,22986956,"" "In a rematch of last season's Western Conference Finals, the second-seeded Denver Nuggets, led by Nikola Jokic, will take on LeBron James' seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the opening round of the NBA playoffs. Denver embarks on their journey to defend their 2023 championship, marking the franchise's inaugural title win."zone name","placement name","placement id","code (direct link)" diurnalnews365.blogspot.com,SocialBar_1,22986956,"" "zone name","placement name","placement id","code (direct link)" diurnalnews365.blogspot.com,SocialBar_1,22986956,""
Denver's draw against the "zone name","placement name","placement id","code (direct link)" diurnalnews365.blogspot.com,SocialBar_1,22986956,"" Lakers comes after Los Angeles, initially finishing eighth in the West, triumphed over the New Orleans Pelicans in the play-in tournament to secure the seventh playoff seed. This matchup marks the third postseason encounter between the two teams in five years. While their familiarity with each other is evident, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone emphasized that this series is distinct.
"Coming off a 57-win season, we understand the challenge ahead," Malone stated after a recent practice. "It's a different series this time around." Despite Denver's eight consecutive victories against the Lakers, Malone reminded his team, "That doesn't mean anything."