Luka Doncic scored 31 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 120-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets at home on Tuesday night. The win helped the Lakers move into third place in the Western Conference standings.
Doncic, 26, had an explosive first quarter, scoring 21 points. He finished the game with 31 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, marking his 200th career game with 30 or more points.
Austin Reaves added 22 points for the Lakers, who played without injured stars LeBron James and Rui Hachimura. Despite the absences, the Lakers dominated early, ending the first quarter with a commanding 46-29 lead. The Nuggets, missing Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray due to injuries, were unable to recover.
Doncic, who joined the Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks in February, has now recorded 30 or more points in eight of his 16 games since the trade.
“Like I always say, every day gets better,” Doncic told ESPN after the win. “That’s three wins in a row now, so we’ve got to just keep it going. We go game-by-game because if you think too far ahead, you might forget about the next game. We know the standings are tight, but we just have to try and win every game.”
The Lakers’ 46 points in the first quarter were their highest of the season, and Doncic’s 21 points in the quarter were the most he’s scored in a single quarter since joining the team.
In the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers remain in first place, despite a tough 123-119 loss to the Sacramento Kings. This loss marked their third straight defeat. DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 27 points in the victory. The Cavaliers had previously seen their 16-game winning streak snapped by the Orlando Magic over the weekend.
