Doncic’s Late Jumper, Reaves’ Miss-and-Make Spark Lakers’ Sixth Straight Win
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Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic delivered in the closing seconds as the Los Angeles Lakers edged the Denver Nuggets 121-119 in overtime on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena.
With 5.2 seconds left in regulation and the Lakers trailing by three, Reaves sank the first of two free throws, deliberately missed the second, grabbed his own rebound and hit a floater to force the extra period. Doncic completed the comeback by knocking down a step-back jumper with 0.5 seconds remaining in overtime, then blocked Tim Hardaway Jr.’s last-gasp three-point attempt.
“Just a big-time shot by a generational player,” LeBron James said of Doncic. “We wanted the last shot. It’s going to be just the first of many game winners like that for him in a Lakers uniform.”
Head coach JJ Redick told his players beforehand to treat the contest as a playoff game. “I think it feels like we’re coalescing right now in a really nice way,” Redick said afterward. “Still got a long way to go, but certainly optimistic with how we handled this stretch of games.”
The victory over Denver and Monday’s win against Houston stretched Los Angeles’ streak to six. During that run, the Lakers have defeated three likely postseason foes—the Timberwolves, Nuggets and Rockets—while clinching the season series against both Minnesota and Denver. Key late-game contributions have come from Doncic, Reaves, James, Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton.
Redick noted that injuries have limited floor time for the trio of Doncic, Reaves and James, making it difficult to establish rhythm. “The best thing for our team is (LeBron) being the third-highest-used player,” the coach said.
Smart’s path to Los Angeles included a near-career-ending accident in January 2018, when he punched a framed photo after missing a potential game-winning three for Boston against the Lakers. A five-inch shard lodged in his hand, requiring 20 stitches and causing lingering numbness for years. Determined to revive his career after injury-marred stops in Memphis and Washington, Smart has become the Lakers’ primary point-of-attack defender. He totaled 21 points and five steals Saturday while helping hold Jamal Murray to five points on 1-for-14 shooting. “He competes every night,” Reaves said. “When he’s flying around, it makes you be accountable to the effort you bring.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
