The Los Angeles Lakers returned to the court on Saturday and ended the Denver Nuggets’ nine-game winning streak with a 123-100 victory on the road. The Lakers led wire-to-wire and answered every Nuggets run, which is not something that had happened in recent matchups between these teams.
Luka Doncic had his first breakout performance with the Lakers as he led all scorers with 32 points on 10-of-22 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds, seven assists, foul steals and a block.
LeBron James, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura also combined for 69 points, while the team had a good game plan to limit Nikola Jokic.
The Lakers’ all-around performance offered a glimpse of how dominant they can be when everyone is on the same page. “Our goal is to win the championship, that’s our only goal,” Doncic said when asked how far the team can go.
“And I think we have the team for that. Obviously the chemistry with me and the guys is gonna take a little time but as you saw today, I think it’s getting better and better.”
The Lakers’ win over the Nuggets was only their second in the last 15 games between the teams. But if Saturday night was any indication, L.A. could be a force against any team when everything is clicking for them.
The Lakers still have a long way to go to build chemistry, but they are making good progress and results are starting to come because of it. With Doncic rounding into form after admittedly being rusty in his first few games with the team, there’s no tell what the ceiling of this team can be.
Luka Doncic ‘felt like me’ in Lakers win over Nuggets
Luka Doncic said he was rusty in his first three games with the Lakers but finally felt like his old self against the Nuggets on Saturday.
“Honestly, I think you could see it with me smiling on the court and having fun,” Doncic said. “JJ told me you gotta have one of those blackout moments like you have. I think I had one. I just felt like me a little bit, so I was happy.”
Doncic hopes the Lakers will be able to build on the win and keep gaining confidence. “Great confidence,” he began.
“I don’t remember when was the last time I won here, it’s very tough to play here against that team. So to win like that, it’s an amazing win for us and gives me a lot of confidence moving forward.”
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