The Denver Nuggets are trying to qualify for the NBA Finals for the first time in their 46 years as an NBA franchise. Denver opens up the Western Conference finals on Tuesday night against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, fresh off eliminating defending champions Golden State from the postseason.
While James is the series' biggest star, Denver's Nikola Jokic might be even more impactful on his team's success. The two-time MVP looks ready for the occasion, as he turned up to shootaround on Monday sporting a fresh buzz haircut.
Jokic coming off a dominant series against Phoenix
Joker led top-seeded Denver to a six-game series win over the star-studded Suns in the second round. He averaged a triple-double against Phoenix, with 34.5 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 10.3 assists per game -- including a 53-point outing in a Game 4 loss.
Jokic has five 30-plus point games in the playoffs and five triple-doubles. He will be a handful for LeBron, Anthony Davis, and the Lakers as a whole as they attempt to reach the NBA Finals for the second time in four years.
Who is favored to win Game 1?
Caesars Sportsbook in Las Vegas has the Nuggets as 5.5-point favorites to win Game 1 at Ball Arena in Denver.
These two teams split the season series 2-2 and are meeting in the conference finals for the fourth time. The Lakers have won each of the past three series over the Nuggets at this stage, and have won all seven playoff series they have played against Denver since 1979.
However, DraftKings Sportsbook has the Nuggets (-155) as slight favorites to win this series over seventh-seeded Los Angeles (+130). If the Nuggets pull it off and advance, they will almost certainly have the big man Jokic to thank.
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