The Denver Nuggets will host the Los Angeles Lakers at Ball Arena on Tuesday in the Opening Night of the 2023-24 NBA season.

The Nuggets will open the season as the defending NBA champions following their title in 2022-23, and fortunately for them, they keep the same core that guided them to victory the last time out. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray will lead the way, while the supporting cast of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. are all under contract as well. Denver did lose some firepower off the bench following the departures of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green, but it’s not a secret that this team will only go as far as their star duo of Murray and Jokic can take them. The Nuggets went 3-2 in the preseason.

The Nuggets are listing Jay Huff (ribs) and Julian Strawther (ankle) as game-time calls for the season opener. Vlatko Cancar (knee) is out for several more months.

The Lakers made several changes in last season’s trade deadline and improved their roster significantly, making the playoffs and reaching the Western Conference Finals, where the Nuggets swept them. The Lakers decided to keep most of their roster intact for the upcoming campaign, however, and signed two key pieces, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, to long-term deals, while also boosting their depth with the addition of players such as Christian Wood, Gabe Vincent and Taurean Prince. LeBron James and Anthony Davis will carry the team on both ends of the court, but there’s no question this Lakers team is deeper than the one of previous seasons.

The Lakers are mostly healthy for the season opener, though Jarred Vanderbilt (heel) and Jalen Hood-Schifino (knee) are listed as game-time calls.