Jamal Murray

With so many matchup issues, we could be in for a repeat of last season's Nuggets-Lakers playoff series.

The Nuggets swept the Lakers in last season's Western Conference final. What are the key factors entering this year's playoff rematch?

Saturday was shaping up to be the night the Lakers finally broke through against the Nuggets. Instead, it was more of the same.

The defending champs are a half game out of the top seed in the Western Conference, and trending up.

Defenses are at Jokić's mercy when he has the ball. What does he see? And how do his teammates know what to do? We break it down.

Nuggets coach Mike Malone revealed a significant issue the defending champs must overcome in order to repeat.

“Obviously, I would love to be an All-Star,” Murray told The Athletic, but the desire for league-wide validation was fulfilled last June.

"Both teams were throwing haymakers, and we were able to throw the final punch," Jamal Murray said of handing Boston its first home loss.

Murray had 20 points, six assists and four rebounds in the Nuggets' win over the Raptors.

The Nuggets knew that as defending champs, teams would be coming for them. And they know they have the benefit of time to get things right.

Murray injured his hamstring in the Nuggets' 123-101 win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.

With Denver's point guard "out for the foreseeable future" because of a hamstring injury, who will the Nuggets turn to for Murray's minutes?

Now comes the hard part for the Timberwolves. They have to perform like this again.

The Nuggets showed in their season-opening win over the Lakers that they will have a say in the NBA's final outcome.

Just because Murray and the Nuggets won the 'chip last year means he's lost the chip on his shoulder. "I'm ready to get back to it."

The hard part — building a championship core — is done. But finding the right supporting pieces in the current NBA is far from simple.

Murray is the latest marquee player to bow out of the World Cup.

Denver's starting five is second to none, but after key departures, rotation questions will need to be answered as 2023-24 unfolds.