Jokic

When the Western Conference finals open Tuesday night in Denver, it will be the revamped Los Angeles Lakers against the top-seeded Denver Nuggets, who have been among the most consistent NBA teams this season.It will pit a resurgent Anthony Davis against two-time MVP Nikola Jokic with subplots featuring ageless wonder LeBron James, mercurial guard Jamal Murray and a cast of role players looking to become X-factors in this rematch from the 2020 playoff bubble.The Times’ NBA crew — Dan Woike, Broderick Turner and Andrew…

DENVER —  A wall of video cameras surrounded Nikola Jokic as reporters piled around the two-time MVP after the Nuggets finished their final practice before Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.All eyes were on him. And for Lakers coach Darvin Ham, that’s a problem. Because if everyone could just turn off the cameras and turn around for a quick second, the Lakers and their head coach can execute their game plan for stopping one of the NBA’s best players.“Try to catch him coming out of his house and kidnap him,” Ham…

Anthony Davis smiled and looked over at LeBron James sitting next to him at the podium, the two Lakers stars and leaders admitting they had already given some thoughts about playing the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals.The Lakers had just dispatched the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors by winning the best-of-seven semifinal series 4-2 with a 122-101 victory Friday night and there was joy inside L.A.’s locker room and universe at Crypto.com Arena.Sure, it was time for the Lakers to rejoice, to…