The Los Angeles Lakers are set to face their familiar foe once again, this time in the opening round of the playoffs. They’re set to go up against the Denver Nuggets once again.

Certain pundits believed the Lakers might have been strategically better off intentionally losing their game against the New Orleans Pelicans to potentially secure a matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder rather than facing the formidable Nuggets.

However, the Lakers were not about to send such a message. Instead, they fiercely competed, earning themselves the opportunity to challenge the reigning champions in the postseason.

Sports analyst Craig Carton bluntly opines that Los Angeles’ season is effectively over.

On his recent segment of The Carton Show, he recalled how the media previously hyped the Lakers’ ability to handle the Nuggets, only to witness the Lakers repeatedly falter against them.

The Nuggets have dominated the Lakers, securing victory in eight consecutive matchups, including a four-game sweep in the Western Conference Finals. In total, they’ve bested L.A. nine out of eleven times.

The coaching prowess between Mike Malone and Darvin Ham showcases a stark contrast, and despite the Lakers managing to keep the games competitive, they have consistently fallen short against the Nuggets.

Every team has its strengths and weaknesses, and the Nuggets seem custom-made to exploit the Lakers’ vulnerabilities.