LeBron James called Luka Doncic a "f**king generational player" and said this is just the first of many game-winners after his shot gave the Lakers a 127-125 overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
The Los Angeles Lakers climbed to third place in the Western Conference thanks to Luka Doncic's game-winning shot in a 127-125 overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
Luka broke free from a double-team, moved along the baseline, and launched a fadeaway shot. The ball went in with just 0.5 seconds left in overtime, giving the Lakers the lead and the win.
LeBron James, the Lakers' co-superstar, praised Doncic as a generational talent.
"Just a big-time shot by a f**king generational player," LeBron said after the game. "We wanted the last shot. We wanted to put the ball in our guy's hands. So, it's going to be just the first of many game winners like that for him and in a Lakers uniform."
At 41, LeBron himself made clutch plays, including an incredible dive for the ball with 57 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Coach JJ Redick was impressed.
"After the game, I said, 'In 23 years of watching you play in the NBA and the three years I watched him play in high school, I never saw him make a full-out extension dive like that.' He said, 'You're right. I've never done that.'
"It's awesome," Redick added. "I know he'll feel that tomorrow, but that's a winning play. The charges and the loose balls. ... So many guys made winning plays, and we went into this game saying that we're going to treat this like a playoff game.
"This time of year, with the standings the way they are, a chance to get the tiebreaker over Denver. [We] treat this like a playoff game. Our guys approached it like a playoff game. They played it like a playoff game."
The Lakers improved to 42-25 and play the Houston Rockets on the road next (Monday).
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