Lakers exorcise Denver demons with Doncic masterclass

The Los Angeles Lakers traveled to Denver to relive old – and very recent – nightmares. The Nuggets were responsible for the Lakers’ playoff eliminations in 2023 and 2024, two brutal, consecutive exits: first in the Western Conference finals, then in the first round. Those series ended 4–0 and 4–1 respectively, an 8–1 aggregate that underlined the dominance of Nikola Jokic and company, who overwhelmed an Anthony Davis now sidelined and injury-ridden – predictably – in Dallas. Life in Los Angeles has changed: Luka Doncic arrived on February 1 in a historic trade that shook the NBA to its core. He was meant to change everything.

So far, that change has been more theoretical than real. Doncic continues to put on nightly exhibitions, reinforcing his status as a perennial MVP candidate, but brilliance means little without wins. After last season’s painful first-round loss to the Timberwolves (4–1), the feeling around this campaign has been even more unsettling. The record is no longer impressive and still misleading. Home-court advantage in the first round is slipping away as the schedule tightens. For all Doncic’s numbers and LeBron James’ ability to make the impossible look routine, the Lakers once won without convincing; now they are simply surviving. They arrived at Ball Arena having lost four of their last six games – an ominous sign given the literal altitude of the challenge ahead.

Denver, meanwhile, came in riding a wave despite being without Jokic, injured on December 29 and still awaiting further evaluation in what is not considered a definitive absence. David Adelman’s team – the son of the legendary Rick Adelman – has coped with remarkable ease. A shocking loss to the Hornets aside, the Nuggets had won four straight against lesser opposition: the Bucks, Pelicans, Mavericks, and Wizards. The matchup was open, with both teams desperate for wins and jostling as direct rivals, even if Denver had surged to third in the West and enjoyed a cushion over their closest chasers. Recent history hung heavily over what shaped up as a major test for both sides.

The night ultimately belonged to the Lakers, powered by a ruthless Doncic display. The Slovenian brushed aside the noise and flexed his authority, leading Los Angeles to a statement win in Colorado. Doncic finished with 38 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists, joined in double figures only by Marcus Smart (15 points, 3-of-6 from three) and, inevitably, LeBron James, the perfect complement with 19 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. This came despite the visitors trailing by 16 at halftime (57–41). A devastating 58–36 second half flipped the scoreboard, and neither Jamal Murray’s 28 points and 11 assists nor the five Nuggets in double figures could derail a Lakers comeback that keeps them alive in the fight for a top Western Conference spot. It was a staggering game. And a celestial Luka Doncic, kicking the door down.

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Denver Nuggets

Stats

21 Spencer Jones
8 Peyton Watson
32 Aaron Gordon
27 Jamal Murray
24 Jalen Pickett
11 Bruce Brown
10 Tim Hardaway Jr.
14 DaRon Holmes II
22 Zeke Nnaji
3 Julian Strawther
5 Hunter Tyson

Stats

	Min	Pts	TR	OR	DR	Ast	Los	Rec	Blk	S1	S2	S3	RF	CF	Val
21 Spencer Jones	36	16	5	0	5	0	1	1	1	0/0	2/2	4/7	0	5	0
8 Peyton Watson	37	18	5	1	4	3	3	3	1	0/0	3/9	4/8	0	3	0
32 Aaron Gordon	31	18	4	1	3	5	0	0	0	4/8	4/5	2/4	0	1	0
27 Jamal Murray	36	28	2	0	2	11	1	0	0	4/4	6/13	4/8	0	2	0
24 Jalen Pickett	26	7	6	1	5	4	0	1	0	0/0	2/7	1/2	0	2	0
11 Bruce Brown	22	4	4	1	3	2	0	0	0	0/0	2/6	0/0	0	3	0
10 Tim Hardaway Jr.	30	10	2	0	2	2	0	1	3	6/7	2/4	0/8	0	3	0
14 DaRon Holmes II	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
22 Zeke Nnaji	18	6	3	1	2	0	0	0	2	0/0	3/4	0/0	0	2	0
3 Julian Strawther	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
5 Hunter Tyson	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0

Los Angeles Lakers

Stats

23 LeBron James
12 Jake LaRavia
5 Deandre Ayton
77 Luka Dončić
36 Marcus Smart
6 Kobe Bufkin
28 Rui Hachimura
11 Jaxson Hayes
9 Bronny James Jr.
14 Maxi Kleber
4 Dalton Knecht
17 Drew Timme
2 Jarred Vanderbilt
7 Gabe Vincent

Stats

	Min	Pts	TR	OR	DR	Ast	Los	Rec	Blk	S1	S2	S3	RF	CF	Val
23 LeBron James	34	19	9	1	8	8	6	0	0	2/6	7/14	1/1	0	2	0
12 Jake LaRavia	26	7	1	0	1	2	3	0	0	1/1	3/3	0/2	0	2	0
5 Deandre Ayton	14	4	8	1	7	0	0	0	0	0/0	2/5	0/0	0	1	0
77 Luka Dončić	35	38	13	0	13	10	3	2	0	11/12	9/12	3/9	0	2	0
36 Marcus Smart	31	15	2	1	1	1	0	0	0	4/5	1/3	3/6	0	2	0
6 Kobe Bufkin	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
28 Rui Hachimura	28	9	6	3	3	1	0	1	0	0/0	3/10	1/3	0	2	0
11 Jaxson Hayes	22	9	5	1	4	0	0	0	2	1/4	4/5	0/0	0	2	0
9 Bronny James Jr.	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
14 Maxi Kleber	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
4 Dalton Knecht	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
17 Drew Timme	10	9	3	2	1	0	0	0	0	0/1	3/5	1/1	0	1	0
2 Jarred Vanderbilt	17	0	4	1	3	2	0	0	0	0/0	0/1	0/1	0	1	0
7 Gabe Vincent	17	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2/3	0/0	1/2	0	3	0