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In this NBA matchup, the Lakers were without their star players LeBron James and Luka Doncic. However, this presented an opportunity for other players to showcase their skills on the court. Austin Reaves delivered an impressive performance, scoring 37 points, while Dalton Knecht added 32 points, including five 3-pointers. Despite the absence of their key players, the Lakers displayed a strong team effort and resilience. On the other hand, the Denver team seemed to underestimate the Lakers and played complacently, ultimately leading to a competitive game.

Fortunately, with the game on the line, Nikola Jokic set a massive (moving?) screen, taking out two defenders, which opened the door for Jamal Murray to save the day for the Nuggets.

Murray's game-winner in #PhantomCam https://t.co/gLvDY0crgK pic.twitter.com/MZAvInfVDq

— NBA (@NBA) March 15, 2025

It was an ugly win for the Nuggets, but after rough losses to top teams (Boston, Oklahoma City, Minnesota), they needed the win. That doesn't mean Michael Malone was happy about it, he walked into his postgame press conference,

crumpled up the stat sheet and threw it away

Jokic finished the game with 28 points, seven rebounds, and five assists — a great night for most players but a pedestrian one for him.

The Lakers went 0-4 on their road trip and will have to continue without LeBron James (groin strain) for another week or so, but now come home for four games, with a couple of winnable ones to start against Phoenix Sunday (nationally televised), followed by the very shorthanded Spurs. Then they get another shot at Denver.