Nuggets 127-102 Lakers (November 23, 2024) Game Recap

LOS ANGELES — — Nikola Jokic scored 34 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 24 as the Denver Nuggets used a strong second half to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 127-102 on Saturday night.

Russell Westbrook had 14 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds for Denver against his former team.

Austin Reaves scored 19 points and LeBron James added 18 for the Lakers, who have lost consecutive home games after starting the season 7-0 at home. Rui Hachimura, back in the starting lineup after missing the previous five games with a left ankle sprain, scored 10 points in 22 minutes.

It was the teams’ first meeting since the Nuggets beat the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs earlier this year. Denver also swept them in the Western Conference finals the year before.

Denver trailed by six points at halftime, but outscored Los Angeles 37-15 in the third quarter and 70-39 in the second half while dominating inside and out.

Takeaways

Lakers: The Lakers led 63-57 at halftime and let the game get away from them in a sloppy third quarter. It shows they still have a lot of work to do to get out of Denver’s control.

Nuggets: Even playing on the second of a back-to-back and traveling, Denver still had the legs for long-range shots. Denver was 16 for 32 on 3-pointers.

Key moment

Westbrook had a putback dunk late in the third quarter to cap off an authoritative quarter and extend the lead to 94-77. Westbrook then emphatically twirled his arms around in celebration as he ran back down the floor.

Key state

The Nuggets outscored the Lakers 20-4 in the paint in the third quarter. Jokic had nine points in the decisive third in which Denver scored 37 points.

Next

The Nuggets host the New York Knicks on Monday and the Lakers visit Phoenix to open a road back-to-back.

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AP NBA: