Lakers Edge Nuggets 127-125 After Reaves’ Late Heroics, Doncic’s Overtime Dagger
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The Los Angeles Lakers escaped Ball Arena on Saturday night with a 127-125 overtime victory against the Denver Nuggets, punctuated by dramatic plays from Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic.
Los Angeles trailed 118-115 with 5.2 seconds left in regulation when Denver elected to foul Reaves before he could attempt a tying three-pointer. The guard sank the first free throw, intentionally bricked the second and sprinted left to collect the rebound. His quick floater dropped with 1.9 seconds remaining, forcing overtime.
“I knew I was going to miss,” Reaves told ESPN. “Some people shoot it high and end up making it on accident, but I don’t think my ball ever got over 10 feet.”
Nuggets interim coach David Adelman called the play “one in 100 in the NBA,” while Nikola Jokic acknowledged that the bounce “worked perfectly” for Reaves.
The extra period delivered another highlight. With the score knotted and the clock winding under a second, Doncic shrugged off a double team, stepped back and drilled a jumper with 0.5 seconds to seal the win.
“I saw the double coming and trusted the shot,” Doncic told the Los Angeles Times.
Reaves finished with a team-high 32 points, marking his third consecutive 30-plus performance. LeBron James praised Doncic’s clincher as a “big-time shot by a generational player.”
Head coach JJ Redick said the matchup carried a playoff feel amid a tight standings race. The victory moved Los Angeles to eight wins in its last nine outings.
Source: Hoops Wire
