Nuggets' Will Barton: Ruled out Tuesday vs. Lakers

Barton (ankle) won't play Tuesday against the Lakers, Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post reports.

Analysis:

Barton was a surprise addition to the Nuggets' injury report after having played 20 minutes in Saturday's win over the Suns, but it appears the sore left ankle is enough to keep him sidelined for the first time since Nov. 30. Starting wings Gary Harris and Danilo Gallinari could see slight upticks in minutes to cover for Barton's absence, as may key reserves Wilson Chandler and Jamal Murray. Barton's status for the second half of the back-to-back set Wednesday against the Grizzlies is seemingly up in the air.