The Los Angeles Lakers are flying high after extending their current win-streak to five games with an OT win over the Denver Nuggets last night. This was a crucial win that helped LeBron James‘ squad become the sole occupants of the No. 3 seed in the West while sending a message to a rival franchise that eliminated them from the 2023 and 2024 NBA Playoffs. This win was a result of a lot of grit and some huge moments.
Luka Doncic hit an incredible game-winner while Austin Reaves pulled off a masterful free-throw sequence to send the game to OT. However, neither play showcased their true drive for winning like LeBron James’ dive to secure a loose ball. James hit the court hard with a minute left in regulation after jumping outstretched to deny the Nuggets a chance at an extra possession in crunch time, with his effort drawing praise from fans and pundits who watched the game.
Lakers legend James Worthy, who is still a part of the franchise’s on-air team, spoke about James’ huge play and revealed how the influence of a player like Marcus Smart in the Lakers locker room likely led to James’ throwing caution to the wind and making a hustle play as a 41-year-old to win a game.
“Marcus Smart, man, he’s a godsend for us. Never seen LeBron dive on the floor like that until Marcus Smart showed up.”
LEBRON DIVING ON THE FLOOR AT AGE 41 😳
HUSTLE BY THE KING 👑 pic.twitter.com/wZ9PCoNzZ8
— ESPN (@espn) March 15, 2026
James is averaging 21.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 7.0 assists this season. While he has come under fire for his poor defensive effort through most of the season, he’s been earning a lot of rightful praise for his two-way performance in the last two Lakers games. Everyone knew that LeBron can’t operate at a high defensive level as a 41-year-old over an 82-game season and the NBA Playoffs, but he definitely can lock into that mode for the final month of the season to ensure the Lakers’ success.
James put up 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists in the OT win, while Marcus Smart had a breakout 21-point night to go along with five steals.
Smart joined the Lakers last summer as a free agent and has averaged 9.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game so far this season, a move that Worthy hailed even at the moment it happened. While his offense has been a spot of bother, he has consistently been one of the Lakers’ best on-court defenders.
This has made him indispensable to the rotation, as the former Defensive Player of the Year serves as their primary POA defender as well as the team’s tone-setter on that end. That’s exactly why Worthy believes Smart has influenced James into making a greater effort on defense.
If LeBron can consistently put forth this sort of defensive effort while letting Doncic and Reaves run the offense, the Lakers could go a long way. We know James can be an effective defender when he’s motivated on that end and doesn’t have to exhaust himself trying to carry the team’s offense. He has the perfect opportunity to do that with the Lakers to end the season and make a surprise run to the NBA Finals.
A good test for James and the Lakers is coming up, as they face the Houston Rockets on Monday and Wednesday night. The Rockets are No. 4 in the West and just half a game behind the Lakers, so this baseball series could have a huge impact on where the Lakers end the season in terms of the Western Conference standings.
