The Los Angeles Lakers stormed to a 127-125 overtime win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, sealing the deal with some Luka Dončić magic. With six seconds remaining in overtime, Dončić sunk a difficult game-winning fadeaway from the corner, beating the clock and securing the win.
After taking a lead in the first half, Los Angeles fell behind after a big third quarter from the Nuggets, before pulling back within a few points of Denver’s lead. And then, in the final seconds, Austin Reaves missed his second free throw, but was able to grab his own rebound to hit a tricky game-tying layup.
The overtime period was slow-going for both teams, who both saw some key missed shots. After a pair of layups from Deandre Ayton, Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon hit a three-pointer to give Denver the lead, before Marcus Smart hit a big three-pointer to pull ahead again.
Nikola Jokić then drove for a layup to tie things up. But it was Dončić’s jumper that gave L.A. the home win.
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Dončić ended the night with a massive triple-double, notching 30 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists. Reaves, meanwhile, lead both teams with 32 points, as L.A. notches another team effort.
The win pulls the Lakers to third in the West, boosted by a lineup that is finally fully healthy. It’s also the fifth win a row for L.A., who looks strong as the regular season starts to wind down.
Denver, meanwhile, is sitting in sixth after losing three of their last five.