LOS ANGELES – The crowd erupted when Lakers star Luka Dončić sank a baseline jumper to secure a 127-125 overtime win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena.
The crowd gasped when Austin Reaves missed a second free throw intentionally. They then exhaled when Reaves grabbed a rebound and sank a floater to force overtime.
The crowd cheered when 41-year-old LeBron James dove on the floor to secure a loose ball, while the Lakers trailed by one with 54.6 seconds left in regulation.
Those three breath-taking moments explains he Lakers’ current circumstances. The Lakers (42-35) hold a ½ game lead for the Western Conference’s third seed. They have won five consecutive games, including three against playoff contenders. They have shown that Dončić, Reaves and James can all thrive among each other, individually and with their supporting cast.
Fitting on a night when nearly every Lakers player made team-oriented plays, James dished off another assist to Dončić on his late-game heroics.
“Big-time shot by a generational player,” Lakers forward LeBron James said. “It’s going to be the first of many game-winners of his in a Laker uniform.”
Perhaps this will be the first of many times the Lakers show ready to win a high-stakes game in a playoff-like atmosphere.
Of course that starts with Dončić, who posted his 55th career-triple double and seventh this season in points (30), rebounds (11) and assists (13) two nights after scoring 51 points against Chicago. Dončić also made his sixth-career game-winning shot by relying on both his skills and instincts.
With the ball in his hands behind the perimeter, Dončić sensed he would draw a double team. Nuggets forward Bruce Brown cut off Dončić’s right side while Spencer Jones guarded him. So Dončić drove left toward the basket. Dončić stopped abruptly to throw Jones off balance. Dončić then pulled up for a step-back jumper. The ball went through the net with .5 seconds left. Dončić then turned toward the roaring Lakers fans
“I felt like it was the best atmosphere since I’ve been with the Lakers,” Dončić said. “The whole crowd was in it. It was so special to witness that. Hopefully it’s more times. I had goosebumps a little bit. It was amazing to see in that moment.”