NBA: 4 first-round playoff matchups that we should be rooting for

Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)
Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)
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Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets Aaron Gordon (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

NBA first-round playoff matchups we need to root for: Lakers vs. Nuggets

Despite what anyone is willing to admit, one of the most interesting potential matchups heading into this postseason centers around the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets, a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals.

Up until Jamal Murray‘s injury, the Nuggets were one of the hottest teams in the NBA and were emerging as a team that could potentially present a real danger to the Lakers in a first-round playoff matchup. It’s a bummer that we won’t be able to see a fully healthy Nuggets team in this potential matchup but there’s also no guarantee the Lakers will be 100 percent either.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis are expected to be back before the end of the regular season, but there’s no guarantee they’re going to be back in full rhythm by the time the start of the playoffs come around.

Even though the Nuggets won’t have a fully healthy squad, I don’t think we can entirely count them out in a first-round series against the defending champs.