The Denver Nuggets play host to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference First-Round Playoffs at Ball Arena on Saturday.

The Lakers (47-35) pulled off an impressive win to get to this point, beating the New Orleans Pelicans in the Play-In Tournament. Getting that victory on the road is a huge boost for this club, but it's no surprise since they finished the season winning 11 of their last 14 outings. That's the form we expected to see all season and it's exciting that LeBron James and Anthony Davis are fully healthy heading into this series. That's all LA fans wanted to see from the beginning because this team has a good chance against anyone as long as those superstars are taking the court.

The Nuggets (57-25) shocked the world when they took down the NBA Finals last season, and this is their first pursuit to repeat. It'll be a tougher road this time around because Denver finished second in the Western Conference. They were first last season and always take advantage when they have games at home. The Nuggets were 33-8 at Ball Arena this season and have one of the biggest advantages with their sky-high altitude. What really gives them a bump over every team is that they have Nikola Jokic. The two-time MVP is simply one of the greatest players over the last decade and is on his way to his third MVP this year.

Denver won all three matchups against LA during the regular season, winning each by at least eight points apiece. The Nuggets have won seven of their last 10 regular season games over the Lakers, which doesn't even include a four-game sweep in last year's Western Conference Finals.