NBA Power Rankings Week 9: The slide of the Los Angeles Lakers

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 18: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a play during the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Staples Center on February 18, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) /

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73. . 16-13. Previous: 8th. Denver Nuggets. 8. team

Last Week: Beat Los Angeles Lakers 122-105, Lost to Boston Celtics 112-99, Lost to Washington Wizards 130-128, Beat Cleveland Cavaliers 120-103

This Week: 2/21 at Atlanta Hawks, 2/23 vs. Portland Trail Blazers, 2/25 vs. Washington Wizards, 2/27 at Oklahoma City Thunder

If you had checked in on the Denver Nuggets after each game, the reaction to this week would have been drastically different. Uneven does not even begin to describe the spread of results that the Nuggets experienced.

They started off the week with a statement win against the Los Angeles Lakers. After the way they were knocked out of the postseason last year, dropping the defending champions by 17 points is the best sort of confidence builder. Jokic had another triple-double (23 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists) and Jamal Murray led the team’s six double-figure scorers with 25 points.

A few days later, the team would fall in frustrating fashion to the Boston Celtics, a team who was desperate for a win. Jokic was again fantastic, dropping 43 points in a losing effort. Michael Porter Jr. missed all eight of his shots and Murray turned the ball over nine times. It was simply not their night.

Losing to the Washington Wizards, even when playing on a back-to-back, is inexcusable. Facundo Campazzo showed some of the flashes he has shown all year and the top two Nuggets combined for 68 points. The rest of the team left plenty to be desired.

The saving grace was the stellar outing against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Porter had 22 points, Nikola Jokic posted another triple-double (16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists) and Jamal Murray had a career-high 50 point outing. That is the kind of exclamation point that almost makes you forget the turbulent middle of the week.