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The LA Lakers welcomed the defending champions Denver Nuggets on Saturday night at the Crypto.com Arena. It was the third and final matchup of the season between the two teams. The Nuggets won the first two games, but the third was special regardless of the outcome, due to LeBron James on the brink of history.
"The King" was nine points away from becoming the first player in NBA history to score 40,000 points. It's an amazing accomplishment given that he's already the all-time leading scorer, having broken Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record, which stood for 40 years.
It's an important game for both teams. The Nuggets are looking to extend their winning streak to six and close the gap with the OKC Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves in the standings. The Lakers, meanwhile, want to keep the momentum alive heading into the final stretch of the season.
Top five highlights from the Denver Nuggets vs LA Lakers game
#5 Anthony Davis catches alley-oop from Austin Reaves
Anthony Davis has always been criticized whenever the LA Lakers face the Denver Nuggets. He got the game going early with help from Austin Reaves, who threw an alley-oop lob to the nine-time All-Star.
Davis caught the lob and threw it down for the alley-oop slam over Nikola Jokic. The shot tied the game at 4-4, but the Lakers gained the momentum to take the lead early in the first half.
#4 Rui Hachimura starts the game hot for the LA Lakers
As mentioned above, the LA Lakers had momentum in the first half because of their defense. Another reason was Rui Hachimura, who started hot in the first period and used the mismatch against Jamal Murray to take over the scoring early.
Hachimura had nine points in the first quarter, with the Lakers having a six-point lead heading into the second period. The Japanese star has been playing well since the All-Star break and has been a vital part of the team.
Also Read: Is Nikola Topic related to Nikola Jokic? Exploring the potential connection between the two hoopers
#3 Nikola Jokic caps personal run with circus shot
There's a reason why Nikola Jokic is the favorite to win the MVP for the third time. Jokic had his own personal scoring run in the third quarter to help the Denver Nuggets recover from a double-digit deficit against the LA Lakers.
"The Joker" scored 13 straight points for the Nuggets in three minutes to make the game close. Denver even took the lead, with Jokic capping his run with an insane Sombor Shuffle over Davis.
#2 Nikola Jokic's alley-oop to Aaron Gordon seals the game
The Denver Nuggets proved why they're the defending champions by taking care of business in the fourth quarter. The Nuggets controlled the game when it mattered most, going on a run with less than three minutes left, turning a two-point deficit into a nine-point lead.
Nikola Jokic sealed the game with less than 40 seconds left by backing down Austin Reaves. It looked like he took a floater, but it was a pass to Aaron Gordon, who threw the ball down and one after a foul by LeBron James. The shot sealed a 124-114 win over the LA Lakers.
#1 LeBron James scores 40,000th career point
Regardless of the outcome of the game, LeBron James becoming the founding member of the 40,000-point club was always going to be the No. 1 play of the game and the day. He scored the historic two points early in the second quarter against Michael Porter Jr.
"The King" seized up Porter, who had no chance of stopping the powerful spin move. The four-time MVP finished it off with a tough layup against the outstretched arms of MPJ. Fans inside the Crypto.com Arena cheered the shot and gave him a standing ovation after a timeout was called.
