DENVER — The Lakers' three-game win streak came to an end in Denver on Friday as Nikola Jokić put on an MVP triple-double performance, losing to the Nuggets 120-113 at the Ball Arena.
After being down the entire game trying to climb back from an 11-0 deficit start, the Lakers put themselves within one point with two minutes left, the closest they had been throughout the contest.
And it was the closest they got as the lack of execution in the final possessions sealed the Lakers' fate.
Despite Luka Dončić going scoreless in the entire fourth quarter, the Lakers' fourth-quarter climb was aided by an adjusted lineup from Coach JJ Redick.
The Lakers went to a small-ball rotation with LeBron James and Rui Hachimura at their front court to combat Jokić.
But Jokic was too much for L.A., scoring, dishing and finding the open man when the Lakers tried to double him.
The Lakers had two open 3-point looks to tie the game, down 114-111, both coming from Marcus Smart. He would miss both as Jokić put the final dagger after spinning away from Jaxson Hayes and banking it in over Dončić.
James finished with 16 points, five rebounds and eight assists as he became the NBA’s all-time leading field goal leader, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on a fadeaway jumper.
Dončić finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.
Where They Stand
The Lakers drop to 37-25 and lose to another good playoff team, dropping to 14-19 against teams with a .500 record or better.
They still sit at No. 6 in the Western Conference as they drop to 19-13 on the road this season.
The Game-Changer: The Charity Stripe
The Lakers won nearly every category against Denver, but the main takeaway in the loss was the charity stripe. The Nuggets had 31 attempts at the line (making 28) while the Lakers had 15 (making 10).
A discrepancy that changed the game.
The 15 shots at the line are tied for their third-lowest attempts by the Lakers this season. That’s coming from a Lakers team that averages the third most this season at 26.4 per game.
The Gamebreaker: The Joker
As Jamal Murray killed the Lakers in the first half — having 20 of his 28 points at halftime — Jokić buried them in the second half. Jokić finished with his 22nd triple-double of the season with 28 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds.
Injury Report
Deandre Ayton played four minutes and 30 seconds in Denver and went straight to the locker room, not being seen for the rest of the night.
He didn’t return and was out for the rest of the game with knee soreness.
The Lakers, who were already down a big man in Maxi Kleber with back soreness, had to back up center Hayes to fill Ayton’s void.
Hayes had a solid and serviceable performance for the Lakers, being a rim runner down and a lob threat down the stretch with James. Hayes finished with a season-high 19 points.
In the midst of the Lakers' fourth-quarter climb, James suffered an elbow injury after landing awkwardly after a layup on Jokić. After replay, it showed James’ left elbow hit the shoe of one of the cameramen on his way down to brace his fall.
James came back in a couple of possessions later to finish the rest of the game.
Next On The Schedule
The Lakers will head back home for a five-game homestand, starting on Friday night against the Pacers in their first back-to-back post-All-Star break.
They will see New York, Minnesota and Denver again in the homestand, a test against some of the top teams from both conferences.
