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LeBron James lauds Luka Doncic after game-winner over Nuggets

The Los Angeles Laker entered Saturday night's game against the Denver Nuggets looking to earn their fifth straight victory and take control of the season series.

Although the Lakers got out to an 11-point lead at halftime, the Nuggets erased that deficit in the third quarter alone, outscoring Los Angeles 37-26.

Late fourth quarter heroics from Austin Reaves helped the Lakers reach overtime, where Luka Doncic proved to be too difficult to stop.

Doncic hit the game-winning jumper with less than a second left to cap an incredible night.

He finished with 30 points, 13 assists, 11 rebounds, one steal and three blocks.

The trio of Reaves, Marcus Smart and LeBron James also played pivotal roles, combining for 70 points.

Following the game, James spoke about Doncic's performance and his first game-winner as a member of the Lakers.

“Just a big-time shot by a generational player. (...) 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.”

With the victory, Los Angeles went 5-0 on their recent homestand.

As a result, they've moved into sole possession of third place in the Western Conference, trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs.

Now, they'll set off on a six-game road trip beginning with back-to-back matchups against the Houston Rockets.

Houston could leapfrog Los Angeles with wins, trailing them by only half a game in the standings.

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