Luka Doncic Posts Triple-Double, Wows NBA Fans as LeBron, Lakers Beat Nuggets Amid Jokic Injury
The Los Angeles Lakers survived a blistering first half from Jamal Murray and overcame a 16-point deficit, beating the Denver Nuggets 115-107 on Tuesday night.
Luka Dončić posted a triple double on the night (38 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists) and LeBron James nearly did the same (19 points, nine boards, eight dimes) as the star duo paced the Lakers.
And while Murray put up 26 points and seven assists in the first half alone—highlighted by a half-court buzzer-beater to end the second quarter—he was held to two points and four assists in the second half.
The Lakers stymied Denver’s offense in general through the final two quarters, holding them to just 36 points in the second half. After the game, NBA fans and pundits praised both the Dončić-James duo and the comeback effort in general:
While it was a solid win for the Lakers (26-16), given the deficit they overcame, the absence of the injured Nikola Jokić undoubtedly played a part in the final result. The superstar center hasn’t played since Dec. 29 due to a hyperextended left knee, and the Nuggets (29-15) are surprisingly a very respectable 7-5 without him.
His absence was certainly felt in the second half on Tuesday, however, as Denver’s offense completely unraveled. It didn’t help that the team’s defense didn’t have many answers for Dončić and James, though few teams do.
