Nikola Jokic delivered a triple-double with 34 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a commanding 127-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.
Michael Porter Jr. added 24 points and 11 rebounds, contributing to Denver’s explosive second-half performance, which saw the Nuggets outscore Los Angeles 70-39 after halftime.
Denver improved to 9-6 with the win, while the Lakers dropped to 10-6.
The Lakers led 63-57 at halftime, with Austin Reaves scoring a team-high 19 points and LeBron James adding 18. However, the Nuggets dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Lakers 37-15 behind Jokic’s nine points and Denver’s 20-4 advantage in points in the paint during the period.
Russell Westbrook made a significant impact off the bench against his former team, contributing 14 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds. His putback dunk at the end of the third quarter extended Denver’s lead to 94-77, igniting the crowd and punctuating the Nuggets’ decisive run.
Denver capitalized on efficient long-range shooting, finishing 16-for-32 from beyond the arc. Porter and Christian Braun combined for six of those makes, keeping the Lakers’ defense off-balance.
Los Angeles, which entered the game undefeated at home earlier in the season, has now lost consecutive games at Crypto.com Arena.
Anthony Davis struggled offensively, finishing with 14 points on 6-for-19 shooting, while Rui Hachimura added 10 points in his return to the starting lineup after a five-game absence due to an ankle injury.
Denver’s defense stifled the Lakers in the second half, forcing 15 turnovers and holding Los Angeles to just 36.1% shooting from three-point range.
