By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
“Chemistry takes time but you saw today that after three games it’s getting better”.
This is a normal quote by Luka Doncic, but there was nothing normal in his game against the Denver Nuggets that led to a 123-100 road triumph for the Lakers.
In his best game yet with his new team, Doncic had 32 points, plus 10 rebounds, seven assists, and four steals, while for the first time this season, three more Lakers scored more than 20 points.
LeBron James had 25 points, Austin Reaves scored 23, and Rui Hachimura added 21.
On the other side, Nikola Jokic posted his 26th triple-double of the season, but he was just 2 of 7 from the floor with six turnovers and a total of 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Lakers never trailed in winning in Denver for the first time since April 10, 2022. They had lost 13 of their previous 14 against the Nuggets who had nine straight wins before losing this game.
The Lakers host the Mavericks on Tuesday night in Doncic’s first game against his former team. After this result, the Nuggets are third in the West with a 37-20 record, while the Lakers remain fifth with 34-21.
Markkanen bests Sengun, Camara emulates LaMarcus Aldridge
In other games, Lauri Markkanen led the Utah Jazz to a 124-115 win over Alperen Şengün’s Houston Rockets.
The Finnish star recorded a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Şengün was three assists shy of a triple-double, finishing with 27 points and 12 boards.
The Portland Trail Blazers crushed the Charlotte Hornets 141-88, with Toumani Camara posting impressive numbers for the winning side.
The Belgian international had a +45 in the +/- column, scoring 20 points with 10 rebounds and six assists, shooting 7/9 from the field (4/6 3P). He reached the highest +/- by a Blazer since LaMarcus Aldridge.
Deni Avdija also had a solid game with 15 points, four rebounds, and four assists, while Jusuf Nurkić scored 11 points with eight rebounds and five assists for the losing team.
The Philadelphia 76ers fell to the Brooklyn Nets 103-105, with Guerschon Yabusele scoring five points and grabbing eight rebounds, while Killian Hayes finished with three points, six assists, and four boards.
Philadelphia 76ers – Brooklyn Nets 103-105
Denver Nuggets – Los Angeles Lakers 100-123
Utah Jazz – Houston Rockets 124-115
Portland Trail Blazers – Charlotte Hornets 141-88
Western Conference
- Oklahoma City Thunder: 45-10
- Memphis Grizzlies: 37-19
- Denver Nuggets: 37-20
- Los Angeles Lakers: 34-21
- Houston Rockets: 35-22
- LA Clippers: 31-24
- Minnesota Timberwolves: 31-26
- Dallas Mavericks: 31-26
- Golden State Warriors: 29-27
- Sacramento Kings: 28-28
- Phoenix Suns: 27-29
- San Antonio Spurs: 24-30
- Portland Trail Blazers: 24-33
- Utah Jazz: 14-42
- New Orleans Pelicans: 13-43
Eastern Conference
- Cleveland Cavaliers: 46-10
- Boston Celtics: 40-16
- New York Knicks: 37-19
- Indiana Pacers: 31-23
- Milwaukee Bucks: 31-24
- Detroit Pistons: 30-26
- Orlando Magic: 28-30
- Miami Heat: 26-28
- Atlanta Hawks: 26-30
- Chicago Bulls: 22-35
- Brooklyn Nets: 21-35
- Philadelphia 76ers: 20-36
- Toronto Raptors: 17-39
- Charlotte Hornets: 14-41
- Washington Wizards: 9-46