Darvin Ham likes Lakers' chances against Denver Nuggets / News - Basketnews.com

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham stated that although they have been beaten by the Denver Nuggets many times over in recent memory, they still have a shot against in them in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

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After defeating the New Orleans Pelicans in a close game with a score of 106-110, the Los Angeles Lakers and Darvin Ham advanced to the first round of the NBA playoffs, where they will meet the Denver Nuggets.

3-pointers this season

37%11,7Points made:11,7Accuracy:37,4%Place in standings:25Record max:23Record min:4Most made 3FGs:Michael Porter Jr.TeamNBAStatisticsSchedule

Ham's team is the underdog of the match-up. Since December 16, 2022, the Lakers have not been able to beat the Nuggets in either the regular season or the playoffs.

In a post-game interview, Ham responded to a claim that the Lakers were looking to lose to the Pelicans to avoid matching up with the Nuggets and also stated that he believes they will be able to have success against the team led by Nikola Jokic.

"Insane asylum sources say..." Ham joked right out of the gate regarding the previously mentioned claim.

"It's an opportunity. Like I said, it's back to zero-zero. Obviously, they've had a ton of success against our ball club. But there's always a new day," Ham stated. "My staff and I have already been putting the groundwork together for that game plan, and we'll get together tomorrow."

"Other guys, the team will have a day off, but we'll start the work process of building out the game plan and go up there and give it our best shot. That's all we can do," he admitted.

Nevertheless, the American coach likes the chances they have against the Nuggets.

“We feel comfortable, though. We like where we are; we like where the spirit of our group is," he stated. "Everybody's chipping in, pitching in, excited about this challenge and this opportunity in respect of them. They're a hell of a ball club," he also praised the Nuggets. "It’s a reason why they’re defending champs, but, you know, we like our chances."

As stated before, the Lakers have had trouble beating the Nuggets in recent years. In the 2022-23 post-season, the Nuggets eliminated the Lakers 4-0 in the Western Conference finals and then went on to beat the Miami Heat 4-2 to win the NBA championship.

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