The Los Angeles Lakers opened an eight-game road swing with a 115-107 comeback victory over the Denver Nuggets, and LeBron James used the post-game moment to spotlight teammate Luka Doncic’s new status as the NBA’s top All-Star vote-getter.
“First of all, shoutout to Luka,” James said on Spectrum SportsNet after Monday’s win. “All-Star leading vote-getter. It was dope seeing that patch on his jersey tonight, and he showed why he is who he is.”
Doncic validated the accolade against Denver by piling up 38 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. The guard’s production kept Los Angeles within reach while the Nuggets—still without injured center Nikola Jokic—shot well early, and it fueled a second-half rally from a 16-point deficit.
The performance continued an impressive individual season for Doncic, who was officially named an All-Star Game starter earlier in the day. His rise has coincided with James’s own return to form after an early-season injury, giving head coach Darvin Ham a reliable two-man engine while guard Austin Reaves remains sidelined.
Los Angeles has hovered around .500 in recent weeks, a stretch attributed in part to an incomplete rotation, but James’s improving health and his on-court chemistry with Doncic have provided timely momentum as the club spends the next two weeks away from Crypto.com Arena.
While Doncic will start in Indianapolis next month, James’s streak of 21 consecutive All-Star starts ended when this year’s starters were announced. The 41-year-old forward could still make the Western Conference roster as a reserve.
Next up for the Lakers is a cross-town matchup with the L.A. Clippers as the road trip continues.
Source: Lakers Nation
