DENVER -- Amnesty THAT … game? After rallying for an emotional win in Dallas Sunday afternoon, then having a little fun at Mavericks owner Mark Cuban's suggestion that the Lakers should use the amnesty clause on the final year and $30.
LOS ANGELES -- It was another gut-check game for the Los Angeles Lakers -- against another opponent ahead of them in the Western Conference standings -- and all L.A. did was get punched in the gut again.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard said he is unsure if he'll be able to play in Sunday's game against the Denver Nuggets after suffering a sprained rotator cuff in the Lakers’ 107-102 loss Friday to the Los Angeles Clippers.

DENVER -- When the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New York Knicks on Christmas Day, it wasn't just an accomplishment because they got the W to run their streak to five and their record back to .500, but because of they way they did it.
DENVER -- Heading to the altitude of Denver for the second night of a back-to-back after playing at home on Christmas looked like a tall task when the NBA schedule was released in the summer. The challenge proved to be too much for the Los Angeles Lakers, who had their five-game win streak snapped and fell back under .
DENVER -- There is no doubting the impact Steve Nash had on the Los Angeles Lakers' offense in his first two games back from the fractured fibula in his left leg, but there are still two areas of concerns for many Lakers fans: Nash's minutes and his defense.
LOS ANGELES -- It's only been six games, so the jury is still out on Mike D'Antoni's ultimate impact. But give the coach credit for this if nothing else: His system has transformed the Los Angeles Lakers' bench from a bunch of sorry substitutes to the Jodie & Jamison Show.

After Tuesday's lemon against Indiana, this was just what the doctor ordered. Defensively, there were issues, particularly when it came to stopping ball penetration. But the Lakers played with great energy all night, and the offense was souped up with a D'Antonian engine.
If the Lakers have been the most underwhelming team relative to expectations so far this season, the Denver Nuggets may run a close second. After pushing L.A. to the limits in a tough, seven-game first round series during the 2012 playoffs, the ingredients appeared in place to build on that momentum.
After acquiring Steve Nash, Dwight Howard and Jodie Meeks and re-signing Jordan Hill, how do the Lakers stack up against the rest of the league? We evaluate the matchups against the Thunder, Heat and the next tier of competition.
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