Two of the top four seeds in the West faced off tonight in an epic battle at the Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers, who were coming off a pair of wins against the Suns and Spurs this week, passed their latest test with an easy victory against the shorthanded Nuggets.
The Lakers were down four starters in their last meeting against the Nuggets, but they were the ones with the advantage in this game. Without Nikola Jokic or Jamal Murray, the Nuggets didn’t have enough fire-power to keep up with the Lakers and that was clear from the start after Los Angeles opened the game with a 46-point quarter. From there, the Lakers cruised to a double-digit win (120-108) led by their new franchise star.
In 32 minutes, Luka Doncic dropped 31 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists on 47.6% shooting. Austin Reaves finished with 22 points, five rebounds, and eight assists on 2-7 shooting from three. Veteran swingman Dorian Finney-Smith added 14 points, four rebounds, and four assists on 71.4% shooting.
All Nuggets starters scored in double digits but Aaron Gordon was the MVP for his team with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and one steal on 64.3% shooting. In the backcourt, Russell Westbrook scored 12 points, four rebounds, and nine assists on 1-4 shooting from three. In 28 minutes, Michael Porter Jr. tallied 12 points, five rebounds, and three steals on 50% shooting.
Without LeBron James tonight, Lakers fans weren’t sure what to expect from their team. Fortunately for them, Luka Doncic turned in another signature performance to lead the way and help the Lakers to their 43rd win of the season (tied for third in the West).
Luka Doncic Is Getting Comfortable
It’s been over six weeks since the Luka Doncic trade and there have been some major growing pains during the transition. In 15 games with the team, Doncic is still only shooting 40% from the field and 33.6% from three, some of the lowest marks of his career so far.
Slowly but surely, Luka is getting back into form and this game was more in line with what we’ve come to expect from the 5x All-Star. In 32 minutes, Doncic put up 31 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and two steals on 10-21 shooting. He was +20 in 32 minutes and was, by far, the best player on the court with 21 points alone coming in the first quarter.
Without James tonight, Luka was in control of the entire offense and he held nothing back. Just like he did with the Mavericks, Doncic is dominating on the court and it’s got the Lakers in a position to potentially finish in the top two in the West.
Major Depth Discrepancy
The Nuggets have always been heavily dependent on their stars but they’ve never been more vulnerable in the frontcourt. Without Jokic tonight, the Nuggets had to slide Aaron Gordon to center, leaving them with no options off the bench.
Thanks to a dysfunctional Nuggets offense, the Lakers generated 30 points off 18 turnovers, ensuring their lead would never slip. With so many unrecognizable names off the bench, the Nuggets struggled to keep up with the Purple and Gold, who are deep at every position.
Even without LeBron James and Rui Hachimura, the Lakers got some major contributions from their supporting cast and it clearly made the difference tonight. If Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, or any major contributor suffers an injury it could spell disaster for the Nuggets and they’ll have no way to survive.
Powerful Home Court Advantage
The true mark of a championship team is taking care of business at home, and tonight’s win has put the Lakers at 28-7 at home. It’s the third-best home record in the league behind the Cavaliers and Thunder.
At the Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers feed off the energy from the crowd and it brings out the best in role-players like Dorian Finney-Smith (14 points), Jordan Goodwin (eight points), and Dalton Knecht (12 points), who stepped up with big performances in the win. The red-hot Lakers shot 50.6% from the field tonight and 42.1% from three.
If the Lakers can secure a top-four seed, it could be huge in their chances to make a Finals run. Being such a dominant team at the Crypto.com Arena means home-court advantage in the opening rounds and it could make the difference between an early playoff exit and winning multiple series.
In a tight race for the second seed in the West, the Lakers are right in the thick of it after tonight’s convincing victory. Unfortunately for the Lakers, they won’t have too long to celebrate this game before moving on to the next contest tomorrow (March 20) against the Milwaukee Bucks at 10:30 PM EST at the Crypto.com Arena.
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