Lakers vs. Nuggets Game 5 Preview and Game thread: Can the Lakers live to fight another day again?

The Lakers have got over the mental hurdle by snapping their 11-game losing streak to the Nuggets, but can they continue breathing life in this series?

The Lakers will travel to Denver once again after successfully avoiding getting swept on Saturday. Again, this upcoming game on Monday could be the final one of the season if Los Angeles doesn’t manage to leave Colorado with the victory.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets

When: 7 p.m. PT, Apr 29

Where: Ball Arena

Watch: TNT, Spectrum Sportsnet

Just when we were all ready to bid farewell to this frustrating Lakers season and I pretty much wrote a eulogy in my last preview, the purple and gold came alive in this series. Now down 3-1, Saturday’s victory felt like a huge relief not only because the Lakers avoided a sweep for the second straight season, but they got over the mental hurdle by snapping an embarrassing 11-game losing streak to the defending champions.

Well, at least L.A. lived up to one of the few consistent themes they’ve had in this very inconsistent season of theirs, which is killing it in do-or-die games. Now they’re going to have to do it for the rest of the series.

Saturday’s victory also gave a glimpse of hope because it seemed like for the first time in 11 tries, L.A. managed to correct the issues they’ve had against this Nuggets team. Let’s review what L.A. did right in Game 4 and why this is what will help them continue extending their season:

Owning the paint

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons why the Lakers survived in Game 4 is because they scored 72 of their 119 points in the paint. That’s where the purple and gold are at their best.

One set we saw L.A. continuously run was the 1-5 pick-and-roll with D’Angelo Russell as the ball handler, Anthony Davis as the roller and LeBron James — instead of Rui Hachimura — as the cutter. L.A. ran this at least six times down the stretch of Game 4 and the Nuggets didn’t have an answer for it.

Aside from this pet play, it’s important to acknowledge that L.A. wouldn’t have had the opportunity to ice the game if it weren’t for the contributions of the supporting cast. Outside of James and Davis, the Lakers received 21 points each from Russell and Reaves, nine from Hachimura and 13 bench points.

Given how superbly Denver’s role players have been performing in this series, this kind of production from the Lakers’ role players is good enough. It’s the reason why L.A. led wire-to-wire for the first time in the series and finally didn’t crumble in the second half.

The Lakers have led for approximately 129 minutes in this series compared to the Nuggets’ 42 is enough proof that they can beat this team. It’s just a matter of closing games like they did so well in Game 4. Do the Lakers have what it takes to do this again in Denver on Monday? They’re going to have to work even harder because this Nuggets team is eager to end the series as soon as possible.

Can AD keep up his phenomenal performance in this series?

It’s not going to get talked about much because the Lakers are down in the series but AD has matched Nikola Jokic’s production. The Brow has had the hardest job among anyone on this Lakers team and he’s been excellent for the most part. Aside from scoring 25 points, AD solved the Lakers’ rebounding issues in Game 4 by grabbing 23 of them. Because of him, the Lakers won the rebounding battle for the first time in this series.

Denver is most likely going to emphasize rebounding and controlling the paint on Monday. Davis has proven that he can handle the boards, but he really needs help. The least his teammates can do is ease up his scoring responsibility and defend like their season is on the line, similar to what they did in Game 4.

Have the Lakers overcome their Denver demons?

Game 5 for L.A. really boils down to whether or not they still have what it takes to defeat their greatest weakness in the last two years. That’s why I felt Saturday’s win was so important, not only because Los Angeles managed to stay alive in this series but also because it felt like they got the monkey off their back. That’s not to say that they’re now better than this Nuggets team, but that win could be a boost of confidence for them to keep their season alive.

In Game 5, we’ll see if the Lakers’ season continues or ends once and for all in Denver.

Notes and Updates

• For the Lakers’ injury report, there’s one significant update: Jarred Vanderbilt (right midfoot sprain) has been upgraded to questionable in this series
• Anthony Davis (left wrist sprain) and LeBron James (left ankle peroneal tendinopathy) are probable while Cam Reddish (right ankle sprain) and rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino (lumbar disc surgery) remain out.
• The Nuggets might also be without Jamal Murray in Monday’s contest as he’s listed as questionable with a calf strain. This is a big development because if Murray doesn’t suit up, that’s a huge advantage for the Lakers. But if he does, then L.A. has to do everything they can to attack him and make the most out of the fact that he’s not 100% right now.
• Aside from Murray, Reggie Jackson (left ankle sprain) is probable while Vlatko Cancar (left knee surgery) is out.
• Be sure to come join our Playback stream during the game!

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani