Nuggets 108 vs 120 Lakers summary, stats, scores and highlights | NBA regular season 2025
Luka looked even more unstoppable than he usually does in the first half of the Lakers win over the Nuggets. His 21 points in the first quarter set the tone for LA, and evened them up with the Nuggets in the season series. Seeing as both teams split the four games this season, and this was the final meeting between LA and DEN, the tie break (if they end up with the same record) will come down to division standings. Right now the Lakers lead the Pacific Division by two games while the Nuggets have already lost their division to the OKC Thunder. The Lakers have two games in hand, since they had two games postponed due to the LA wildfires, and that will make for a busy last three weeks of the season for JJ Redick's team.
The lead bubbled up to 20+ in the 3rd quarter as Reaves took the keys to the car until the finish line. Luka checked out and didn't play the final quarter since the Lakers have the second end of a back to back coming up tomorrow night against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Doncic took his foot off the gas after his scorching start to the game. After dropping 21 in the first quarter he finished the night with 31, 9 and 7 in 32 minutes played. He has shown that he is ready to handle the work load if LeBron isn't available, but he would love to have the league's all-time leading scorer on the floor as LA seeks the second seed in the playoffs.
The Nuggets were down by as many as 28 points in the first half, but Aaron Gordon kept them in the game heading into halftime. After scoring the most points in a Nuggets uniform against Golden State, Gordon had 26 against LA with no Nikola and Murray. They went into halftime down 14, but were never able to draw level with the Lakers.
Luka had 20 points in the first eight minutes of the game, and put the Lakers up by 17 to open up a lead that the Nuggets had trouble coming back from with Jokic and Murray on the bench.
Luka was on fire out of the gate. He went 4/5 and had 11 points in the first three minutes of the game and Denver's banged up team had no answer for him in the opening quarter.
Luka was feeling it even in the pregame, hitting this shot from the Lakers tunnel before lighting it up in the first 12 minutes. With LeBron set to come back by the end of the week at the earliest, he knew he was going to have to deliver.
The Los Angeles Lakers hosted a depleted Denver Nuggets team that had Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic on the sidelines, and Luka Doncic lead his team to a huge win with plenty of playoff implications.
Austin Reaves got the day going as the Lakers built a 9-0 lead to start the game, and they would keep that for the remainder of the night. Reaves ended the night with 22 and 8 assists, but the night and especially the first quarter belonged to Luka.
IT'S ALL OVER!!! THE LA LAKERS GET A HUGE WIN AGAINST A DEPLETED DENVER TEAM!!!
Goodwin back to the line and he hits both FTs.
Goodwin to the line and he hits both FTs after the foul on Cancar.
Hall jacks a three ball and that cuts the lead to single digits with under 1:00 to go.
Cancar with the kick out and finds Jones who hits the three ball from the top of the key.
Tyson down the lane and slams it home with two hands.
Knecht pulls up from the FT line and hits the mid range shot.
Hall with the offensive rebound and put back.
Pickett with the spot up and he drills the three ball from the wing.
Reaves to the line after the foul on Hall and he hits both FTs.
Tyson to the line after the foul on Knecht and he hits both FTs.
Tyson on the reverse off the back door dish from Cancar.
MIlton to the line after the foul on Jones and he hits one of two FTs.
Pickett hits it off the jump ball in the Lakers defensive half.
6:15 to go in the 4th quarter.
Reaves to the line after the foul on Pickett and he hits both FTs.
Jones into the lane and he floats it back up and in.
Finney-Smith slices through the defense and lays it up and in.
Jones gets his own rebound off the missed three, and gets the floater to go in the lane.
Pickett pulls up from DT and hits the three ball!
Pickett lays it off for Jones who streaks through the lane and slams it home.
Pickett find Cancar down low for the lay up.
Reaves weaving through the lane and he gets the short range shot to fall.
WE ARE HEADING TO THE FOURTH QUATER WITH THE LAKERS BACK IN FULL COMMAND.
Vanderbilt banks it home and beats the buzzer to send LA to the fourth quarter up 28.
Vincent was being dared to shoot and he drills the three ball from the top of the key!
Doncic to the line after the foul on Jones and he hits one of two FTs. He's got 31 tonight.
Koloko sends Braun to the line where he hits both FTs.
Finney-Smith with the three ball off the feed from Luka!
Reaves hypnotizing the defense with the dribble and lobs it up for Koloko for the ally oop.
Westbrook to the line after the foul on Koloko and he splits the two FTs.
Reaves back into the paint and this time he lays it off for Finney-Smith who gets the lay up in transition.
Timeout Nuggets with 4:31 to go in the third quarter.
Reaves down the lane and gets the lay up to fall.
Reaves pulls up from deep and gets a friendly roll off the front iron off the glass and in.
Westbrook goes right into the body of Hayes and lays it up off the glass.
Gordon crosses over on Doncic and hammering it home with a tomahawk slam!
Timeout Lakers with 6:55 to go in the 3rd quarter
Vanderbilt splits the defense and lobs it up for Hayes who skies and slams it down!
Braun to the line after the foul on Reaves and he misses both FTs.
Goodwin follows up his own miss and tips it in.
Watson from the wing and he pops a three ball in the face of the defender.
Reaves picks off Porter and lays it up and in on the break.
Gordon with another three ball!!! HE's creeping up towards 30 himself.
Doncic finds Goodwin down the lane and he banks the floater in.
Extra pass from Finney-Smith to Doncic for 3 and he's got 30 on the night!!
Gordon in the corner and he sinks another!!!
Doncic with a steal on one end and an elbow jumper on the other.
Gordon on the turn around fader from the baseline.
Finney-Smith to the line after the foul on Watson and he splits the two FTs.
WE ARE BACK IN LA FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION!!!
The Nuggets were down 28 points at one time, but they came clawing back and ended the half on an 18-4 run that sends them into the second half down by 14.
Aaron Gordon is coming off game in which he set his record for points as a Nuggets, and is looking like he wants to carry the burden for the Nuggets tonight again. He's got 16 points and he's 3/5 from three point range.
Luka had 21 points in the first half as it looked like the Lakers were going to roll over the Nuggets.
Doncic got hot and stayed hot through the first quarter. He had 11 points in the first four minutes of the game.
The Lakers got off to a fantastic start against the Nuggets who sat Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. Austin Reaves got going in the first few minutes and had 9 points and 5 assists in the first half.
WE ARE HEADING TO HALFTIME HERE FROM LA!!!
The Lakers started hot, but ended that half giving up an 18-4 run.
Watson with the steal and he goes coast to coast with a monster slam!!!
Westbrook finds Porter on the baseline for the slam.
Doncic to the line after the foul on Watson and he hits both FTs.
Gordon missed the three ball but Watson came flying in for the tip in.
Reaves floats it up for Vanderbilt on the alley oop.
Gordon off the dribble and to the cup with the lay up off the eurostep. That's a 12-0 run for DEN.
Hayes to the line after the foul on Gordon but he misses both FTs.
Knecht missed the three and Westbrook ran the break, lobbed it up to Braun who slammed it down on the alley oop.
Luka fouls Watson on the shot and he hits one of two FTs.
Goodwin with a turnover and Westbrook takes it all the way for the lay up and one! FT is good after the foul on Goodwin.
Westbrook slips it off to Braun for the lay up and the Lakers take a timeout with 4:21 to go in the first half.
Gordon with the spot up fader from outside the lane.
Doncic finds Vincent in the corner and he drills the three. 28 point lead, that's the largest of the night.
Watson to the line after the foul on Reaves, and he misses both FTs.
Reaves on the fader in the lane and he's got 9.
Porter Jr. follows Westbrook's missed lay up and puts it back.
Give and go from Doncic at the top of the key and he hits the one footed leaner from a step inside the arc.
Watson gliding to the rack and he lays it up and in.
LA forces another TO, and it's Goodwin leaving it for Vanderbilt for the jam.
Reaves slashes down the lane and he lays it up.
Braun on the break and he euro steps around Reaves for the lay up.
Porter down low and he gets it to go on the reverse.
Vanderbilt to the line after the foul on Westbrook and he hits both FTs.
Gordon in the corner and he strings another three ball off the feed from Braun.
Knecht pulls up from the top of the key and he drills it! LA is 11/17 from downtown!
Gordon to the line after the foul on Vanderbilt, and Gordon hits one of two FTs.
Reaves down low with the lay up off the feed from Vanderbilt.
Timeout Nuggets 85 seconds into the 2nd quarter.
Goodwin running the break and he kicks it out to Knecht for the three ball!
Goodwin with the interception and he looks up for Vanderbilt for the wide open slam.
Luka came out on fire tonight. With no Jokic or Murray on the other end, he knew this was a big opportunity to close the gap between the two teams.
WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER FROM LA!!!
Doncic had 21 points to start off the Lakers in what was their highest scoring quarter of the season!
Doncic to the line after a foul on Jones and he hits one of two FTs.
Jones with the offensive rebound and Picket hits the mid range jumper.
Koloko finds a loose ball and lays it up and in after a scramble at mid court.
Knecht sent to the line by Cancar and he hits one of two FTs.
PIckett running the break and he finds Jones for the reverse lay up and the foul! FT is good.
Knecht into the game and on to the board with a three ball set up by Doncic!
Timeout Nuggets with 2:30 to go in the first quarter.
Porter with the tip in off the offensive rebound.
Finney-Smith hits a three ball after the extra pass from Knecht.
Westbrook fighting down the lane and he gets the roll.
Gordon pulls the trigger and he drills the three from the wing. He's got two of those already.
Westbrook hits one of two FTs after the foul on Hayes.
Vincent in the corner and he drills the three ball after some great ball movement!
Doncic off the dribble and he sinks the three ball!!! He's got 20 points on 7/8 shooting in seven and a half minutes!
Luka spins in the lane, floats it up, hits it and gets fouled by Watson. FT is good and Luka has 17 points, seven minutes into this game.
Doncic punches the offensive rebound to Hayes and the ball winds up in the hands of Vincent who sinks the three ball!
Timeout Nuggets with 5:15 to go in the first quarter!
Doncic from 30 feet away and he sinks the deep three ball from the top of the key! He's got 14 already!
FInney-Smith whistled for the defensive three seconds and Porter Jr. hits the FT.
Reaves penetrates and kicks out for Finney-Smith who drills the three from the wing.
Porter Jr. with a quick trigger three and the Nuggets are a bucket away all of the sudden.
Gordon strokes a three ball from the top of the key!
LUka up top and he finds Hayes for the alley oop slam.
Back door pass from Westbrook to Braun on the baseline for the lay up.
Doncic to the line and he hits both FTs after the foul on Porter Jr.
Westbrook running the break and he slips it off for Watson on a baseline lay up.
Westbrook strokes a triple out of the timeout against his old team.
Doncic with the step back three ball and he strokes it! He's 4/4 from the field with 9 points in less than three minutes!
Timeout Nuggets with 9:16 to go in the 1st quarter.
Doncic spins off Porter Jr. and lays it up off the glass.
Gordon send to the line by Doncic and he hits both FTs.
Reaves with a step back three from the top of the key as the clock hits 00s
LA got the offensive rebound off the Luka missed FT, and Luka finger rolls it down the lane.
Luka takes Gordon off the dribble and he gets the floater to go and the foul! FT is no good.
Luka threads a pass to Hayes off the pick and roll for the lay up
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM LOS ANGELES!!!
Nuggets starting five
With no Jokic or Murray, it's going to be Aaron Gordon taking the brunt of the scoring duty along with MIchael Porter Jr. Russell Westbrook had a triple double with out Jokic and Murray last game, and it's going to take that kind of effort from everyone tonight in LA.
No Jokic or Murray for Nuggets
Well this is interesting. One of Denver's biggest games of the season tips off tonight from LA, and they will be without both Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. They sat out against the Warriors last game and the Nuggets were just fine, but this is a direct rival in the Western Confernce standings!
In case of a tie, here's the tie break
The Denver Nuggets are ahead in the standing because they currently have two more wins than the Lakers, but if LA wins tonight that could make a massive difference when it comes to the end of the season and playoff standings. This is the fourth and final game between these teams before the postseason and if Denver wins they will lead the season series 3-1 and hold the tie break over LA should it come down to that. If LA win and tie up the season series at 2-2 then it will come down to whoever wins their division. The Nuggets are in the Northwest Division and the Thunder have long had that in their grasp. The Lakers are currently leading the Pacific and hold a two game advantage over the Golden State Warriors in second. Needless to say, this is a huge game with a lot on the line.
LeBron update
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer went down with a groin injury two weekends ago, and the Lakers have felt his absence in a big way. They dropped four straight including the game against the Celtics in which he got hurt. He was ruled out for a week to to weeks, and it’s been a week and a half. He has been ruled out tonight as he continues to rehab his groin, but he did start some on court workout on Sunday, and is expected to return soon. Our Roddy Cons has more on when LeBron will becoming back.
NBA Standings
Taking a look at the standings in the Western Conference, we see the Oklahoma City Thunder well out of ahead of the rest of the pack in first place. The Rockets have snuck into second place, winning their last seven games, which leaves the Nuggets in 3rd and the Lakers in fourth. Denver has the same record as the Rockets and while the Lakers have 25 losses just like Houston and the Nuggets, they have to make up two games that were postponed early in the season. The Grizzlies are right behind the Lakers, and the Warriors and Timberwolves are battling to avoid the Play-In but might have a chance to raise up the standings. It’s going to be a sprint to the finish line for teams 2-7 in the West.
Star watch: Lakers
With no LeBron James, it has been up to Luka Doncic to carry the brunt of the load. Luckily he has had Austin Reaves to lighten the load a bit, but it’s still Luka’s team. Since LeBron’s injury Luka has played in four of the five games the Lakers have played, and in that time, he is averaging 30.2 ppg, 10.7 rpg and 9.25 apg but LA has won just two of those four games. Luka is the next star of LaLa Land but this is still LeBron’s team and they need him if they are going to have any chance of making a run in the playoffs. That’s why they are being extra cautious and not forcing LeBron back too early despite the chase for the 2nd seed in the West.
Last match up
The Nuggets and the Lakers just played on Friday night, and it was the Lakers who were severely undermanned in that game. Already without LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Dorian Finney-Smith, Gabe Vincent and Jaxson Hayes, JJ Redick gave Luka Doncic the night off in a battle of two teams in the chase for the two spot. LA defended Nikola Jokic tough all night, while Austin Reaves carried the Lakers with a monster game. He dropped 37, 8 and 13 assists as the Lakers took the Nuggets to the finish line, but it was Jamal Murray who stepped up and drilled the game sealing three pointer with under 6 seconds to go.
Last game: Nuggets
After inexplicably dropping a game to the Washington Wizards at home on a last second buzzer beater, Denver rested Jokic, Murray and Christian Braun against the Warriors in Golden State. Aaron Gordon had a game high 38 points and Russell Westbrook turned back the hands of time with a triple double, dishing out 16 assists in the win. Denver lead all night long, but needed a late three ball from Westbrook to fend off Steph Curry and the Warriors who shot just 24% from three point range and just 55.7% from the FT line. That brings the Nuggets into tonight in third in the West, but tied with Houston at 44-25.
Star watch Nuggets
We need not look any further than the Nuggets three time MVP for Denver’s portion of the star watch. Jokic, could and should a four time MVP by the end of the season, but it seems like the NBA and their voters are looking to share the MVP love with a player who has never won it before much like they did with Joel Embiid. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a great player, one of the best in the league. He’s the leading scorer in the league, and is on the best team in the West. While his MVP case is understandable and deserving, Jokic is having the best season he’s ever had. He’s scoring a career high 29.1 points, grabbing 12.8 rebounds, the second best he’s ever averaged, and dishing 10.3 assists. He is top three in each of those categories and is shooting better from the field and better from 3 point range.
Last game: Lakers
The Lakers welcomed the San Antonio Spurs last night and once again, it was Austin Reaves leading the way with another monster game. LA took a double digit lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Reaves scored 30 points for the second time in three games and Luka was a rebound away from a triple-double, putting up 21, 14 and 9 rebounds and the Lakers went up by as much as 28 before winning the game 125-109.
We are live from Crypto.com Arena
Hello everyone and welcome to Los Angeles where the Lakers are back home for a third straight game after losing four straight on the road. They have rattled off back to back wins against some of the worst teams in the West but tonight the Nuggets come into town rested and refreshed after sitting their stars against the Golden State Warriors a couple days ago. Now Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are expected back in action tonight and looking to take the second spot in the West which is currently occupied by the Houston Rockets. It’s the final match up of the regular season between these two teams and tonight could be huge in shaping the playoff picture in less than a months time.
Nuggets vs. Lakers live
It’s a huge matchup in the Western Conference and two teams eyeing the 2nd seed in the playoffs will square off for the final time in the regular season. Each teams’ top stars tonight are good buddies, but that friendship will be put on hold for the next couple of hours as Luka Doncic and the Lakers host Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in a crucial battle for playoff position. AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of tonight’s game from Crytpo.com Arena.