Lakers star Luka Doncic defends against Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook during the Lakers’ 123-100 win Saturday night. Doncic finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and four steals. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
Trips here basically had gone the same the last two seasons, with the Lakers showing signs they might have figured out ways to exploit the Nuggets’ deficiencies only for Denver to slam the door and run the same script.
Eight straight times, including five in the playoffs, the Lakers came to Denver and left with a loss, unable to knock out the Nuggets.
But the Lakers never were consistent quite like they were Saturday, so locked into a game plan that they played nearly error-free basketball. Never did the Lakers fluster Nikola Jokic like they did Saturday, forcing the three-time most valuable player into firing passes off of cutters’ knees or into the front row.
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And the Lakers never had Luka Doncic during that streak.
In his fourth game since being acquired in a shocking trade for Anthony Davis, Doncic looked fully at home. Even after his first shot failed to hit anything, Doncic found his footing.
The Lakers controlled the Nuggets in a meaningful way during a 123-100 win, something they hadn’t achieved since the 2020 playoffs. Doncic scored 32 to go with 10 rebounds and seven assists as the Lakers halted both their eight-game skid in Denver and the Nuggets’ nine-game winning streak.
Doncic hit stepback threes. He zipped full-court passes. He tossed lobs. He snapped at referees, barked at fans and shook his head at Denver’s defensive efforts.
He dominated.
“He showed that fire, that energy, his passion,” forward Jarred Vanderbilt said. “You could see it come back out, and that’s what we’ve been missing. We’ve been preaching to him, play his game, ‘be you.’ And that’s what we love about the game and love about him, being able to come out here and show that passion and show that fire. And he had it going tonight.”
Lakers guard Luka Doncic laughs smiles during Saturday’s game against the Denver Nuggets….
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