The Los Angeles Lakers picked up their fifth straight win in March after a 127-125 OT win over the Denver Nuggets. It was a hard-fought win for the Lakers, featuring huge clutch moments from all three of their stars. Luka Doncic hit the game-winner, LeBron James sacrificed himself to try and grab a loose ball, and Austin Reaves made sure the game went to OT with a unique free-throw sequence at the end of regulation.
Reaves, who ended the game with 32 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, went to the free throw line with 1.8 seconds left on the clock, as the Lakers trailed by three. Instead of just making both shots and accepting the result, Reaves intentionally missed the second shot, grabbed his own rebound, and hit a layup to tie the game at 118-118 and force another five minutes of play, where the Lakers secured another win over their rivals in Denver.
The NBA’s broadcast caught a moment with Reaves after that sequence, as the 28-year-old guard looks passionately at the game ball and makes an admission of love before the start of OT.
“I love you.”
Austin Reaves spoke to the ball after forcing OT in epic fashion 😂 https://t.co/8ivh0JYck7 pic.twitter.com/eWj4T4heXg
— NBA (@NBA) March 15, 2026
This was an excellent example of March basketball, as the Lakers had to execute at a high-level to ensure the Nuggets would lose despite 24 points, 16 rebounds, 14 assists, and five steals from Nikola Jokic. Thankfully, the narrative of Jamal Murray overperforming against the Lakers can now rest, as Murray went 1-14 from the field in a five-point night, missing his last 13 shots before fouling out of the game.
The Lakers were led by Doncic, who has been getting high praise from teammates like LeBron. Doncic put up 30 points, 11 rebounds, 13 assists, and three blocks tonight, leading to 38.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 8.4 assists averages over the last five games. LeBron is readjusting to be a third star but is performing excellently in that role, putting up 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists against the Nuggets.
This win helped the Lakers move into sole occupancy of the No. 3 seed in the West with a 42-25 record. They are only 0.5 games ahead of the No. 4 seed Houston Rockets, so they need to keep their current run of form going till the end of the season. They’re just three games away from falling all the way to the No. 7 seed, so there’s still minimal room for error for JJ Redick’s squad.
Reaves has blossomed into a genuine No. 2 option alongside Doncic, averaging 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists this season. If he hadn’t had injury issues causing him to miss time in December and January, he’d likely also be an All-Star alongside Doncic and James.
His performances this season have shown that he deserves to be relied upon as Doncic’s co-star more than the 41-year-old LeBron, who seems to agree, given his complementary performances next to Reaves and Doncic since rejoining the team from an injury absence.
Given the success Doncic had in an offensive-backcourt alongside Kyrie Irving, it’s not hard to imagine him replicating that alongside Reaves in a Lakers jersey. This season has been a good start to their partnership, but the true potential will likely be seen in the years to come after the LeBron-era in LA comes to an end.
