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Nuggets-Lakers Preview

Nov 2, 2015 - 11:26 PM Kobe Bryant stinks.

That's the self-evaluation from a 37-year-old who's hit 21 fewer field goals than his age and has nearly as many turnovers as assists during the Los Angeles Lakers' 0-3 start.

The once dominant guard will try to bust out of his slump Tuesday night against the Denver Nuggets, whom the Lakers haven't beaten at home in nearly three years.

Bryant is shooting 31.4 percent from the floor and has made just 6 of 29 attempts from 3-point range. His seven personal fouls are one fewer than his amount of made baskets over his last two games after shooting 3 of 15 in Sunday's 103-93 loss to Dallas.

"I just can't make a shot," said Bryant, who scored seven of his 15 points at the free-throw line. "I'm getting the shots I want. I'm just not making them. The guys are giving me the ball and making great passes. It's their job to facilitate and my job to finish. I gotta do the responsible thing and make them for them."

His teammates are shooting 42.1 percent despite rookie D'Angelo Russell going 4 of 13 in the latest defeat. Julius Randle, who broke his right leg in last year's season opener in his first NBA game, is coming off his best performance as a pro with 22 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and four steals against the Mavericks.

"His attitude, his competitiveness - it's great," Bryant said of Randle. "The sky's the limit for him. He's a gem."

Bryant has averaged 29.6 points while shooting 48.1 percent in his last five against the Nuggets, but he's missed five of the last seven meetings. Denver has won four straight matchups at Staples Center since losing there Nov. 30, 2012.

The Nuggets have won nine of the last 10 overall meetings after Kenneth Faried scored 29 points and Danilo Gallinari added 27 in a 119-101 victory April 8.

Denver (1-2) could be shorthanded for this meeting, though, as big men Joffrey Lauvergne and Nikola Jokic are dealing with back pain.

Jokic suffered a strain and had to leave early in Sunday's 117-93 loss to Oklahoma City, while Lauvergne scored 11 points in nearly 19 minutes playing through spasms. Both will be evaluated to determine their status for Tuesday.

Wilson Chandler (right hip strain) and Jusuf Nurkic (left patellar tendon injury) have yet to play this season.

"That's all we need is more banged-up bodies," coach Michael Malone said. "That's the nature of the NBA."

The Nuggets drained 13 3-pointers and shot over 50 percent in a 20-point rout of Houston to open the season, but they've shot just 34.2 percent from the floor and 14 of 51 from long range in back-to-back defeats.

Will Barton came off the bench to score 15 points against the Thunder, and Gallinari also had 15 but shot just 3 of 13. Oklahoma City shot 52.3 percent and scored 37 points in the third quarter.

"For whatever reason, we came out in that third and got our butts kicked," Malone said. "Thirty-seven points (allowed) in one quarter - that's hard to do."

Lakers forward Brandon Bass did not practice Monday, and it's unclear if he'll be able to play. Bass was poked in the eye Sunday and suffered a corneal abrasion.

Rookie Larry Nance had his nose broken during practice and is questionable.