On March 15th, Beijing Time, the 2024 - 25 NBA regular - season continued. The Los Angeles Lakers played a back - to - back away game against the Denver Nuggets. After a full - court battle, the Nuggets narrowly defeated the depleted Lakers 131 - 126.
Full - game data: The specific scores of each quarter were 40 - 32, 27 - 39, 32 - 31, 27 - 29 (Lakers' scores first). For the Lakers, LeBron James continued to miss the game due to a groin injury. Luka Dončić also joined the inactive list because of a left - calf injury and a right - ankle sprain. In addition, Finney - Smith and Vincent were also unable to play due to injuries. Among other players, Reeves scored 37 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, dished out 13 assists and had 4 steals; Knecht scored 32 points, grabbed 2 rebounds and had 1 assist; Milton scored 16 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and had 3 assists; Goodwin scored 10 points, grabbed 6 rebounds and had 2 assists; Vanderbilt scored 9 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 7 assists and had 3 steals.
For the Nuggets, Jokic scored 28 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 5 assists and had 3 steals; Murray scored 26 points, grabbed 4 rebounds and had 5 assists; Braun scored 22 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and had 6 assists; Aaron Gordon scored 17 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and had 4 assists; Westbrook scored 17 points, grabbed 6 rebounds and had 7 assists; Porter Jr. scored 13 points, grabbed 4 rebounds and had 2 assists.
Game review: At the start of the first quarter, Murray made a layup, and the Nuggets got on the scoreboard first. But Reeves made a three - pointer, and the Lakers responded. Although the Lakers were playing with a depleted lineup, they once took the upper hand on the court. Goodwin's driving and jump - shot and Vanderbilt's powerful dunk caught the Nuggets off guard. Subsequently, the Nuggets continued to be suppressed by the Lakers. In the latter part of this quarter, Bronny James got a chance to play and made a free - throw and a three - pointer. In addition, Milton and Reeves also made three - pointers one after another, and the point difference was once widened to double - digits. Westbrook's jump - shot finally stopped the Nuggets' bleeding. After the first quarter, the Lakers led 40 - 32 temporarily.
In the second quarter, Porter Jr. made 2 out of 2 free - throws after getting fouled, and Murray made a three - pointer. The Nuggets quickly narrowed the gap. After that, the Nuggets' superiority in paper strength gradually showed. In the middle of this quarter, Jokic assisted Porter Jr. for a dunk, and he himself made all three free - throws after getting fouled outside the arc. The home team finally took the lead in the score. Then, Westbrook scored 5 points in a row with drives and jump - shots, and Jokic and Gordon's free - throws also went in. The Nuggets established a 10 - point advantage. But the Lakers were very tenacious. Knecht's three - pointer and Reeves' consecutive scoring made his personal score reach 20, and they kept the score close. After the first half, the Lakers trailed 67 - 71 temporarily.
After the break, Gordon and Braun's three - pointers temporarily stabilized the situation for the home team. But for the Lakers, Reeves made a layup and Ryan's drive also went in, and the point difference remained within reach. In the middle of this quarter, Knecht's jump - shot made his personal score reach 20. In the latter part of the third quarter, the Lakers' fringe player Koloko also completed an alley - oop dunk, and Milton and Goodwin also continuously created surprises on offense. The Nuggets' regular cooperation seemed to break down, and they could only score sporadically through Naji's put - backs. With Goodwin's step - back jump - shot going in, after three quarters, the Lakers trailed the Nuggets 99 - 102.
In the fourth quarter, the Lakers became even more tenacious. Knecht scored continuously and helped the visiting team take the lead. Then, Reeves made a three - pointer, and the veteran Morris Sr., who hadn't played for a long time, also made a three - pointer. After that, the Nuggets' players finally woke up. Jokic, Porter Jr. and Murray scored continuously, and the Nuggets regained the advantage. In the final showdown, Reeves made two key steals, one layup and one assist to Knecht for a spectacular dunk. The Lakers led by 3 points with 52 seconds left in the game. In a desperate situation, Jokic made a powerful drive and scored a 2 1. Murray then made a game - winning three - pointer at the buzzer, and Westbrook's steal and dunk completely sealed the victory. Finally, after a full - court game, the Nuggets narrowly defeated the depleted Lakers 131 - 126.
Starting line - ups of both sides: Lakers: Jordan Goodwin, Jared Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, Alex Ryan, Austin Reeves. Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic, Christian Braun, Jamal Murray.