Is Nikola Jokic playing tonight against LA Lakers? Exploring 3x MVP's status for marquee clash (Nov. 23)

Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic returned to action Friday against the Dallas Mavericks after a two-week-long hiatus, missing the last three games. The three-time NBA MVP was reportedly out, citing personal reasons. Shams Charania reported that Jokic and his wife welcomed their second child on Thursday, leading to his absence.

With no injuries reported, Jokic will be expected to suit up for the Nuggets against rivals, the LA Lakers, on Saturday. Denver will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back. Jokic's health and availability haven't been a concern, so unless the Nuggets give him an unexpected rest, he should play against LA.

Despite looking fatigued in his return against Dallas, Nikola Jokic dropped his seventh triple-double in 11 games. He tallied 33 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists, shooting on 59/100/71 splits. However, the Nuggets lost 123-120. They ran out of steam in the clutch after erasing a 25-point deficit and couldn't execute.

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Nikola Jokic stats vs. LA Lakers

Nikola Jokic rarely has off nights, but if there's one team he's nearly flawless against in possibly every game, it's the LA Lakers. He's torched the Nuggets' conference rivals over the past two seasons. He's played 27 games, tallying 20.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 6.5 assists. Jokic holds a 16-11 record against the 17-time NBA champions.

The Nuggets are on a four-game winning streak against the Lakers in the regular season. Jokic had two triple-doubles in that stretch.

The Nuggets face the same core they have a head-to-head advantage against, but the Lakers have a new identity under new coach JJ Redick, who has led the team to a 10-5 start, 1.5 games better than the 8-6 Nuggets.

On the other hand, Denver looks slightly different than those matchups with the key departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Meanwhile, Aaron Gordon could also be on the sidelines with an injury.

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How to watch Denver Nuggets vs. LA Lakers game?

NBA TV will nationally televise the Denver Nuggets-LA Lakers game at Crypto.com Arena. Altitude and Spectrum SportsNet will provide coverage in local regions. Fans outside the U.S. can watch live action online via NBA League Pass. The game will begin at 10:30 p.m. ET.