EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — It’s not the match-up anybody predicted.

The Lakers against the…Denver Nuggets?

It became reality when the Lakers advanced to the Western Conference finals but the Clippers failed to get there too, falling spectacularly to Denver despite an insurmountable series lead. Make that seemingly insurmountable.

So the Lakers now face the Nuggets instead of their down-the-hall rival with a bid to the NBA Finals on the line. Game 1 is Friday in Orlando.

The young, up-and-coming Nuggets keep falling behind in the playoffs but keep coming back. They’ve already made history as the first NBA team to rally from 3-1 deficits to win two series in the same year.

They have an All-Star center in Nikola Jokic and a guard who has made a name for himself this postseason. Jamal Murray had two 50-point games in the first round against Utah and helped eliminate the Clippers with 40 points in Game 7.

In rolling over red-hot Portland and undersized Houston, the Lakers made it pretty obvious who they were: A defensive menace with two All-Stars leading the way.

Here’s a look at how it will play out when the Lakers and Nuggets face each other.

Lakers:

LeBron James averaged a triple-double in the first round against Portland and then cranked up his defense against Houston, including four blocked shots in one quarter. He certainly doesn’t look three months shy of his 36th birthday.

Anthony Davis plundered the Rockets’ small frontcourt, doing damage by the basket game after game after game. He was a big reason the Lakers outscored Houston in the paint, 62-24, in Game 4.

Center JaVale McGee should be a bigger part of this series after being benched in the last round so the Lakers could match up better against Houston’s unique lineup.

Nuggets:

Jokic gives the Nuggets instant credibility in the frontcourt thanks to his versatility as a smooth passer and elite scorer, including enviable three-point touch.

Power forward Paul Millsap is a former All-Star who still has some fight in him at age 35. His 17-point effort in Game 5 helped give Denver much-needed momentum against the Clippers.

Jerami Grant does a little bit of everything for the Nuggets, but nothing overly special.

Edge: Lakers

Lakers:

Danny Green played better against Houston than in the first round against Portland. His outside touch was more consistent and his defense improved.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s three-point shooting in the seeding games, 28 percent. His three-point shooting in the playoffs, 41 percent. This is a big jump for him...and the Lakers.

Nuggets:

Murray is no longer merely a good player who was drafted seventh overall in 2016. He is now one of the best point guards in the game thanks to a slew of breakout games over the last month.

Gary Harris is a quietly effective scorer who can hit threes and play some defense too.

Edge: Nuggets

Lakers:

One of the unsung stories of the playoffs has been the Lakers’ bench. It was above average during the regular season (11th in NBA bench scoring) but has rocketed up to fourth in the playoffs.

Rajon Rondo helped the Lakers take control of the Houston series with a three-game run in which he averaged 14 points and nine assists. Alex Caruso keeps playing in-your-face defense while coming up with a highlight play on offense almost every game. Kyle Kuzma had 17 points in the series clincher against Houston.

Nuggets:

Denver’s backups aren’t quite as splashy, though Michael Porter Jr. had some head-turning efforts in the first round before cooling off a bit against the Clippers.

Monte Morris keeps the offense moving for the second unit. Torrey Craig is a hard-charging but undersized forward.

Edge: Lakers

Think James senses his fourth championship now that the Clippers and Bucks are eliminated? Me too.

The Nuggets are a young team with an undeniably bright future. At some point, though, all their extra playoff games (four more than the Lakers) will catch up to them.

The Lakers, meanwhile, will have enjoyed six days between games by the time Friday’s tip-off rolls around. This is important for a team with eight players aged 31 and over.

Edge: Lakers

If the Lakers take a 3-1 lead, the Nuggets can say they’ve been here before and everything turned just fine. This time it won’t. Lakers in five.