NBA LIVE! Los Angeles Lakers vs Denver Nuggets September 21, 2025 | 2025 NBA Season Live 2K
for players to get used to again. Grant, you know, BA, I think being on the road again in general, making sure you continue to eat right, get the proper rest, getting into a routine as quickly as possible, that’s what’s the most challenging at first. A look at the starting group here for Denver. Gordon and Yic together in the middle, pairing up in the back court, Murray and Brown. And it’s Hardaway in at the three. Shot clock at five. Out to James. three-pointer gets the three to fall. And one way to stretch a career, taking more shots from outside. LeBron, the ageless one, knows it well. Gordon outside pass to Joic. Shoots over Aiden. Oh, Aiden with the block and he stays with it. Joic against Aiden. Federer on the way. Oh, another miss by Joic. And so it’s James with it. He brings it up for the Los Angeles Lakers. It’s a three-point game. [Music] On the wing, Reeves defended by Hardaway. That’s Mura. Fires the three. They grab their own miss. Here are the Nuggets with the ball. Joic passes to Murray. [Music] Back to Joic. [Music] Over James. Not enough on that one as a misses. Yeah, you expect him to make those. Good luck. Just couldn’t find the mark. And let’s swing it over to the sideline and hear from Alli. I did briefly speak with Jeric. I asked coach what the plan is for slowing down Jamal Murray. They said, “Honestly, it comes down to team defense. You need to be aware of where Jamal is at all times. He can light you up, but Murray also can dish it, so you have to be smart guarding him. Always a difficult task defending the talented Canadian Jamal Murray, guys. All right, Ally, thanks once again. Los Angeles has gone one of two from three-point land so far. Takes the three. Hardway grabs the board. The Nuggets have gone 0 for three from the floor to begin this one to the middle and it’s Joic that time on the assist by Murray. Well, what really makes Joic special inside isn’t just his size, but his gracefulness will stand in the highly competitive West. The Denver Nuggets continue to distinguish themselves. Well, Brian, they are unquestionably a top team in their conference, and they’re proof that smart front office decisions and patience really pays off in the long run. Here’s Brown. Count it good. Just great work cashing in on the fast break. Well, converting on those transition opportunities is just so important. Now here’s Donic. A great scoreer, averaging almost 26 a game. And it’s AI missing. Everything right except the finish. Have to keep focus all the way through the play. And Joic throws it down. Yeah, he’s not exactly a highlight reel dunker. But you love to see Joic throw it down. And we’ve got a timeout called by JJ Reic. He wants a few moments to regroup with his players. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat up here. [Music] Let’s take a look at the numbers for Luca Donic. [Music] [Music] First quarter of play and we’re about 3 minutes in. Outside Reeves back to Donic and Donic hammers it home. Going on the attack, Luca doesn’t give them a chance to get between him and the rim. Murray passes to Brown. Yes. And it’s Murray picking up the assist. Murray’s got three assists in the game. Just taking it right to the rim. And no one was there to greet him. Once he gets in deep on the defense, there is no way he’s missing a layup like that. And Donic hammers it home. What? Wait. Hey, don’t always for the big boy. Emphatic move by the point guard. Well, in this league, you can see powerful plays from anyone and anywhere. Your position. Oh, wow. And the slam from Hardaway Jr. can’t forget about his athleticism. Once again, an explosive highlight on the AT&T 5G slam cam. The Lakers trail and here’s Donic coming in off 21 points in his last outing over Murray. And there’s Donic. That’s good on the assist from James. These teams just feeling each other out. Yeah, I love the spirit out there. Already six lead exchanges. Murray finds Gordon. Back to Murray over Donic. Murray no good for Los Angeles. They’ve gone five of eight. Solid opening corner for them. Aimura. And it’s slammed in by Aimura. Yeah, his athleticism more than makes up for his lack of size. Allows him to compete even against bigger guys. Now the Lakers moving it up and Donic hammers it home. Excellent decision from James. He’s all for whipping passes to uncover teammates. Nuggets trail by five. Murray passes to Hardaway. Donic against Murray. Gordon on the wing. Just five on the clock. [Applause] pulls up on the wing. Shot is good off the back rim and in. Hardway’s got his second basket on the night. And it’s Hardway getting it done as a pick and roll ball handler. Something he did a lot of early in his career. Here’s Aimura. And it’s slammed in by Aimura. This is why you put the ball in his hands. An accurate pass hitting a moving target. Gordon outside. Hardway with a screen on Aimura. Gordon the pass to Murray. Now here’s Yic. He’s covered by Aiden. The Nuggets need to get one up the baseline. Jay and Aiden pulls it down. Los Angeles leading by five. Here’s Reeves. Always a nice way to start. Makes his first one. And they’ve settled in quickly today. A nice flowing rhythm to their offense. Now a timeout called by Denver. You know, one guy who’s been getting it done is Luca Donic. Well, he’s having his way inside. So, they’ve got to figure it out. Time to talk it over. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] Vanderbilt’s checked in for the Lakers. And Denver with a change here, too. Johnson’s checked in. [Music] [Music] Murray against Donic. Murray passes to Yic. [Music] outside Hardaway. Four on the clock. Let’s go with a three. It’s rebounded by Los Angeles. And this game, the first chance they’ve had to see Denver have swept this team in the regular season. They completely imploded in their postseason matchups from Deep Reeves. The shots good on the assist by James. James has got three assists now in this one. And it’s Murray with the ball for Denver. Trailing by 10 outside. Hardway. Will it go? That’s the three ball to go. Hardway’s got seven points. [Music] Los Angeles has gone two for four from range to start things off. Coach, another guy that symbolizes the rise of Canadian basketball, Jamal Murray. What an impact he’s making. Yeah, Brian. I’d say even more than just making an impact. This Canadian guard can actually carry an offense on his own afterwards. Yic in the post is covered by Eightton. Access there denied by DeAndre Aton. Yeah, not at his most efficient this quarter. He’s got to work on finding high percentage shots. Donic outside and a miss there on the triple. defense dodged a bullet that time. Total breakdown. Let’s check in with our reporter Alli Leaf Force. KBA. The Denver Nuggets are building for the long haul. Their philosophy has been to draft polished prospects and then develop them into contributors. They look for four qualities: basketball IQ, character, positional size, and absence of skill deficiencies. Brian, the track record has been strong. It really has. Thanks, Alec. Aiden finds Reeves, takes a 13-footer, the offensive rebound. Well, Aiden is a very skilled player and he has the physical tools. You just want to see him put it all together consistently. Los Angeles shooting their first free throws of the night. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. [Music] No good on the free throw. Marcus Smarts checked in for Reeves. Jonathan Kaminga, he’s checked in for Denver. [Music] [Applause] And no luck that time either. And coach, a three-time league MVP, Nicole Joic joining Moses Malone, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson. What a list. Yeah, that’s not a bad list at all, Brian. But what stands out beyond Joic’s skill set is the consistency that he produces with every night. Everybody around him instantly gets better when they play with Joic. They love playing with him. Back to James and slam dunk by James. Still dunking with ease. James is a physical specimen. Smart against Murray. Pass to Joic. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh, and there’s the whistle on the shot. So, two free throws for him coming up. It’s going to be on DeAndre Eaton. Well, as a defender, there’s only so much you can do when Joic gets the ball inside. [Music] [Applause] The first one falls. And coach, such a unique player, multipletime MVP Nicole Joic. How do you defend this guy? Well, Brian, if I knew that, everybody in the league would be trying to hire me because no one has found an answer for Nicoola Joic. He can just beat you in so many ways. If you’re going to double team him, he’s going to create wide open shots and even layups for his teammates. If you’re going to leave him single covered, he’s going to score. There’s nothing this guy can’t do on a basketball court. The shot by James. No good. Nuggets trail by four. Outside Murray, [Applause] shoots from the right block and he hits the jumper. Murray’s gotten his second bucket on the night. Yeah, nice play by Murray. A big guard who was unafraid to mix it up inside. Pass to James outside. Reeves fires for three. The shots good on the assist by James. James has got his fourth assist with that last one. Hayes against Joic. [Music] Some solid defense from Hayes. The Lakers lead by five on the wing. Reeves back to James. [Music] Vanderville. A screen on Kaminga. The three. James. And another three for the Lakers. Well, he’s been very efficient in this quarter. keep getting him the ball. [Music] Joic against Hayes outside Murray. Joic with a screen on Smart. Back to Joic. It’s Hayes with the rebound. Yeah, those shots from him are certainly not helping their case. Smart outside and he lobbs it up to the rim and it’s finished off by Hayes. Man, that was fast. They’re already up by double digits. Yeah, incredible play on both ends of the floor. There may be too big of a gap here. Pass to Joic. There’s 37 seconds left in the first quarter. Can they get it? The shot’s good. Joic has got 10 points. It’s obvious he’s taken it upon himself to try and keep them alive. Johnson against James. Smart outside that falls. Nice feed that time from James. James has got assist number five here tonight. Pass to Joic. Reverses and that’s out of bounds. Last touch by Joic. domination in the first quarter. It’s been pretty lopsided. The Lakers on top up 11. And we’ll be back in just a minute with the start of the second quarter. [Music] And so far through one quarter, it’s been a lopsided game. We’ll see if that changes here in the second. And a chance to catch up on some numbers here. The scoring breakdown for Los Angeles. Well, the coaching staff’s game plan is very clear. Move the ball on the perimeter and shoot the shots with no hesitation. And from the jump, they’ve also clearly been focused on running effective plays here tonight. And there’s been a lot of high quality distribution from them on the floor. Hayes is out there with Jared Vanderbilt. Then there’s Marcus Smart. Then it’s Austin Reeves. And it’s Connect in a small forward. That’s the group for the Lakers to kick off the second quarter. Johnson inside. Just five to shoot. Gordon down low working on Vanderbilt. Gordon can’t hit. Nice rebound. Trying to match the other team’s intensity right now. Pass to Kaminga. Coming in. High post. Valenunis. He’s against Hayes. Valenunis passes to Johnson. Kuminga against Smart. Johnson for three. The Lakers with a rebound. Their last game, a win against the Magic, looking to carry it into this one. And at the offensive end, they were lights out in that game. They found all sorts of ways to punish the D. Yeah. And for a coach, seeing your schemes clicking like that is very rewarding. Pass to Hayes. Kaminga pulls it in. Nuggets trail by 11. Watson passes to Johnson. Outside Watson. Here’s Kaminga. He’s covered by Reeves. Fades. And again, it’s 10 for missing. Los Angeles has gotten five of 11 threes to drop so far in this game. Connect misses off the right iron. The Nuggets have got none of their first three shots to fall so far in the second and he loss it up top. Oh, Kinga popped for days. I would imagine it’s nearly impossible to not get fired up after that play. Grant, check these guys out on the bench. Their reaction says it all. They are fired up. Reeves the pass to Vanderbilt. Grant, we’re starting to see more players throwing alleyoops to themselves off the backboard. Did you ever do that? Nah, in practice maybe, but although I had some leapers ability early on, I never had the audacity to do it in a real game. Credit their discipline. They’ve been working for high percentage shots. And he’s got his first opportunity at the line here tonight. And Los Angeles making a change here. Aimura’s checked in. Brown’s checked in for the Nuggets. What’s up? [Music] [Music] And here are the second quarter of action. Just a hair under two and a half minutes played. Johnson on the wing. He’s scoreless. He’s off on that one. And Reeves has got the ball here for Los Angeles. It’ll be the front end of a two-ame road trip. [Music] Smart looking around. Back to Reeves. Five to shoot. The Lakers got to get one up. Late clock. And it’s Smart missing. Nuggets trail by 12. [Music] [Applause] Here’s Brown. He’s coming off a 10-point game against Dallas. Yeah, and he chipped in a couple of blocks also. A well-rounded complete effort throughout. I mean, with his height and size, stopping Valenunis just isn’t an option sometimes. What a jam. [Music] It’s stolen by Johnson. [Music] And just over three and a half minutes played here in the second quarter to Brown. There’s the triple. Knocks down the long J. Brown’s got seven. He’s a producer. It’s part of their plan to get him as many touches as possible on the wing. Aimura. [Music] Back to Smart. Reeves with the ball. Hayes with a screen on Kaminga. Five on the clock. Finished off by Hayes. Tossing a pass to the interior. That’s what you want to do. Get into the paint. Now a timeout called by Denver. And now that they have some time to get a little bit of rest, it’s time for these players to regroup while hydrating themselves with some Gatorade. Looking to gain a boost of energy as they continue to play in this game. And staying hydrated is the only surefire way to do it. An athletes body doesn’t have the same power and stamina without proper hydration. These guys will be sure to use this timeout wisely. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] LeBron, he’s checked in for the Lakers. And a switch here also for Denver. Murray’s checked in for Kaminga. [Music] [Music] [Music] Johnson on the wing. throws it up high and Gordon with the big finish. Well, when Gordon’s team makes it this easy for him, of course he’s going to throw it down hard. [Music] Murray against Smart on the wing. Aimura. [Music] Back to Smart. Rebounded by Denver. You know, last game they matched up with the Mavs. A tough loss there. You know, in that game, it was just too much disparity in effort level between the two teams, especially on the glass. Well, truth be told, they got punked on the glass. That was the difference in the game. And here’s Gordon from the ark. Burries it. He’s two for four in this game. Their ball movement on this run has been tremendous. It’s led to a lot of good, clean, open looks. Coach, it’s interesting to watch the career path of Aaron Gordon. He’s gone from one role in his previous stop, then he arrives to the Nuggets in a completely different role there. Yeah, Brian, he’s become more of a third or fourth guy and he’s embraced the change. Everybody wants to be that number one or number two guy, but you’ve got to play a role to be a winner in this league. And it’s resulted in championships. Take a break. It sure has. Peace. [Music] And the first one at the line is good. Stan, LeBron James is widely regarded as one of the most intelligent players in the league. Who else stands out to you as far as basketball IQ? Well, Brian, that’s a tough question. There’s so many of them. Nola Joic, Luca Donuch, there’s just so many intelligent guys in this league. Fans that think it’s all about athleticism don’t understand how intelligent the best players are. Yeah, the experience and the knowledge is invaluable. LeBron gives all he has to these young guys deep in his career. Yic against Hayes for three. Gordon Donic grabs a miss. The Lakers lead by six. [Music] Oh, Luca playing grown man ball inside. And when he puts it all together, look at the kind of night Luca can have. Wow. Gordon outside. Back to Murray. Down to five on the shot clock. And that makes him three for four. He’s looking good. Well, every defense gives extra attention to Murray, but they still have trouble keeping him under control. Gives us a chance to catch up with Alli Leforce. Well, LeBron James last season set the record for most All-Star nods in NBA history. He said, quote, “I’m blessed to do what I love and just to try to give back to the game that’s given to me over two decades. Long ago, I exceeded anything I ever dreamed of being in the NBA. Everything else is just extra credit.” Brian, thanks, Ally. Marcus Smart’s checked in for Reeves. And a switch here also for Denver. Kuming has checked in. Smart passes to James. And here’s Donic. three-pointer that falls. Nice feed that time from James has got 15 points now. A timeout called by Denver. Too many wasted possessions. He’s getting in bad situations and then failing to kick the ball out to more ready shooters. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] And this break lets us see the teams making the most of their second chances this season. The Nuggets number one. This team has just been a menace on the offensive boards. They chase down their shots and work hard to make sure there are no wasted possessions. [Music] [Music] Murray with it. He had a 21-point out again their last game against Dallas. Yeah, and look, he came out huge defensively, grabbing four steals during the game. Here’s James. Oh, two vicious points from the King. Nice one-handed jam. Simple in offensive PA. Hey, with the lead, I’m surprised you didn’t come up with something a little more creative. Johnson against Aimura. Back to Murray. [Music] That shot is off. Smart with the defensive effort over Murray and it’s Smart missing. Good idea with the fadeaway, but the defense was just all over it. It’s stolen by Donic. Fires the three. Knocked loose. And this is exactly who you want taking that shot. He just missed it. Pass to Joic over Hayes. Oh, a little luck that time as it drops. Joic has got 12. Joic has every shot. Smart outside. [Music] Back to James. Smart outside from deep. Here’s Donic. Denver. Grabs the miss. Joic has got eight rebounds in the game. Pass to Murray to the inside and he was camped in the lane there. He gets a 3second call. Here’s a look at the schedule for Denver. On Monday, they’ll be matching up against Carl Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks. Then on Wednesday, they’ll begin a road trip starting in Utah going up against the Jazz. And looking at the Clippers matchup that’s going to be a nice test for them. They’ll get a chance to see just how they play against a team that most feel is better than them. The Lakers making a switch here. Vanderbilt’s checked in. James passes to Vanderbilt. Back to James. [Applause] LeBron gets the bucket inside. Very consistent tonight at the offensive end. Right there. He helps fuel the fire outside. Johnson. [Music] Kaminga with a screen on Vanderbilt. Johnson against Vanderbilt. Shot clock at six. Johnson passes to Yokic Mura with the defensive effort. The Lakers lead by 11. [Music] Smart outside Vanderbilt. No good from outside. Denver has gone two of five from distance here in the second quarter. Johnson on the wing. Joic the screen. Johnson with a bucket. Want to score in the NBA? Picks can really force the D to make tough choices. Los Angeles has gone just one of six from the perimeter here in the second. Smart finds Aimura. And so he draws the foul headed to the line to shoot a pair. And growing up in California, Stan, when did you first fall in love with the game of basketball? Well, Brian, my dad coached for a long time, and I just remember going to his practices and going to his games. I can’t remember a time where I didn’t love the game. Free throw good, Aimura. Yeah, they they’re really cashing in more at the line here in the second quarter. And the Lakers with some changes. Eighton comes in for Vanderbilt and Austin Reeves is subbed in for Smart. [Music] He’s perfect from the line this time. There’s a minute 47 left to play in the first half. Gordon outside Hardaway. There’s the three. Pure from three-point range. Hardway’s got 10. You don’t have to ask Hardway twice. If the shots available, he’ll take it. Pass to Aimura. Outside Reeves [Applause] inside. Here’s James and it’s James with the jam. Terrific ball movement leading to the basket. You love to see it. Murray passes to Hardaway. Back to Murray. One minute left in the second period. Donic pulls down the board. Now, he hasn’t been great this quarter. The coaches need to try to figure out a way to get him going. Basket counts. They just look so overwhelmed inside. And that’s why they continue to get attacked. Donic against Murray. Pass to Valenunis. [Music] Murray inside. Guarded by Donic. Yeah, we all know Murray is a shooter, but look out. He can finish, too. And so it’s Aiden with it. He brings it up for Los Angeles. Donic outside. Good work defensively by Gordon. And it didn’t register as an official block, but he did everything you want in disrupting that shot. Well, you know, sometimes the most pivotal plays don’t always go on the stat sheet. Hardway no good. Well, if you have the space, you have to take that shot. He missed it, but he’s trying to keep the defense honest. And so we wrap up the first half. Lakers ahead up by 10. Stay with us, folks. We’ll be back just after halftime to get the third quarter started. [Music] [Applause] The Hornets roster not at full strength. Dealing with the loss of LaMelo. No easy task. So dynamic you won’t find a quick replacement for him on your bench. Transcendent talent. A guy who really moves the needle for your team. You hate to see this. Did you say transcendent? And turning now to the game we’ve been watching. Luca Donuch has been lighting it up. You know what that mean? Uh, it sounds like the theme of the Luca show. Exactly, Ernie. That’s why you’re who you are and that’s why they’re up. This man can dictate the game on the offensive end. He controls the tempo and uses his strength. Like Mr. Donuch Kenny, you are on your game tonight. [Music] Thanks for joining us. Time to head back over to the third quarter with Brian Anderson. [Music] and happy you could join us. We’ve got two quarters left to go in regulation. Boy, really an incredible game here from Luca Donic. What makes him an exciting player is the ultraaggressive mindset that we saw over and over in the first half. Yeah, he hasn’t been settling. He’s getting to the rim and that’s him at his best. [Music] [Applause] Nuggets trail by 10 on the court for Denver. Pairing up in the back court, Murray and Brown. Gordon and Joic together in the middle. And it’s Hardaway in at the three slot. Well, what else can you do against Joic but get as physical as possible defensively? And this will be a second trip to the free throw line. Shoot two. The free throw dropped for Joic. Well, the metronome like consistency of Joic. one reason he’s a multipletime league MVP and he makes both free throws. Well, you have to appreciate a big man who can step up to the line and knock it down with confidence. And Donic puts up a deep three, sinks the tray. Donic has got 20. Using that change of pace off the dribble, Donic gets the shots he wants. Gordon outside [Music] to the middle. Here’s Joic. It’s not going to go for him. Excellent D there from Aiden. Pass to Aimura. [Music] Here’s Donic from downtown. It’s held in by Nicole Joic. Joic has got nine rebounds now. And he’s going for the oop here. Oh, it’s stolen by Aimura. James left side. He’s got it going on now. Seven for 10. Looks like we’re starting to see a pattern here. Not afraid to get in the paint and get wet. Pass to Brown. Back to Murray. Gordon outside. Murray. A screen on Aimura. Gordon against Aimura with the floater. Kicks it out to Hardaway. That falls. Nice feed from Joic. Hardway’s got 13. Yeah, that’s like a layup to Hardway at this point in his career. Outside Reeves Donic on the wing [Music] and he makes it on the layup. 22 points for him. And now almost all their points coming from the paint. [Music] Murray against Donic. Pulls up high post and the jumper is good. Watch just great awareness there from Murray to take advantage of what the defense was giving him and go to work in mid-range. Well, Grant, when you think of Jamal Murray and all he’s been through, health is of utmost importance for him. Oh, extremely important. BA, because when Murray is healthy, he’s a lethal player and a huge part of this team’s success. Here’s Brown. He’s covered by Reeves. Pass to Gordon. Here’s Joic [Music] over Auntie Mura. Joic no good. The Lakers lead by 10. Attack mode. Let’s have a look at the teams who have been shooting the ball the most consistently these past 10 games. The Lakers in fifth. Recently, they’ve been effective in getting good looks. Field goal percentages are typically tied to the quality of your shots. [Music] And he drops the first Valenunis. He’s checked in for Nicole Yokic. [Music] And good on the second. So he makes them both. Now a timeout called by Denver. Protecting the rim has to be their top objective right now. Well, if you’re just going to let them score inside at will, you might as well pack your bags. [Music] Heat up here. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Here’s [Music] [Music] Murray. He’s got 11 [Music] [Applause] outside. Hardway to the inside and the dunk by Valenunis. Strong finish by Valenunis. He likes exerting his will close to the rim. Outside Reeves. Third quarter of basketball here. A little under three and 1/2 minutes gone by. Here’s Donic and a foul called on the way up. So he’ll take two from the free throw line. It’s going to be on Jamal Murray. And this team’s offensive catalyst. Donic puts pressure on the defense every possession. [Music] The first free throw is good and Donas is a walking triple double threat. His versatility and confidence is really special. [Applause] [Music] [Music] Donic hits them both. And when we talk about franchise players, guys who can carry a team, Luca Donic is one of the few guys in that category. Murray passes to Valenunis. Back to Murray. Oh, deflected. Oh, it’s stolen by Donic and Aton with the stuff. Great execution of the alleyoop. Of course, having Aiden to throw it to makes it much easier. Pass to Brown. Murray looking around. Here’s Brown. Now Valenunis is covered by Aiden. Six on the shot clock. Valenunis passes to Murray. The three. It’s rebounded by Los Angeles. Aiden’s got rebound number eight now. Here’s Aimura. Valenunis with a rebound. Valenunis has got four rebounds in the game for three. Hardaway. The Nuggets with another miss and Reeves has got the ball here for the Lakers. Here’s James. Good work there as it goes. James has got 22 points. What touch from LeBron almost unrivaled in terms of different finishes in the paint. Murray passes to Brown. Hardway on the wing. He’s covered by Reeves. Oh, Aiden with the block. Here’s Aimura and the foul is called. He missed it. So, he’s got a couple of free throws coming his way. The officials were right on top of that one. And this will be his third and fourth free throws of the game here. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Free throw good. Aimura. If they keep hitting free throws at this clip, it’ll help them seal the deal. [Music] [Applause] [Music] And that’s good as he hits both shots. Nuggets trail by 18. Outside Murray to end the run pass to Valenunis for three. Gordon. The shot comes out. The Lakers have gotten five of eight shots to go in the third. Here’s Aimura. Rebounded by Denver. Valenunis has got his fifth rebound in this one. And they’ve been able to maintain this lead despite his inconsistency from the field. [Music] Brown passes to Valenunis. [Applause] [Music] Six to shoot. Pass to Murray. Now Hardaway over James and that one hits the back iron. More often than not, he’ll cash it in from that area. The defense might have done just enough to bother him. And out of bounds, Denver will have it. And it’s time to take another look at that powerful block. You know, you can’t ask for any better defense than that. He responded so fast to the shooter and it stifled him. [Music] Nuggets trail by 18. That’s to Brown now. Here’s Hardway. Gordon outside 43. He drops it from range. Gordon’s got eight. Well, confidence isn’t something that Gordon is lacking. He thinks his shot is there, so he just takes it. And so JJ Reic calls for the timeout. He wants to give him a breather and talk things over. [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Vanderbilt’s checked in for Achi Mura. And a switch here also for Denver. Johnson’s checked in. James finds Reeves. Aton screen on Hardway down low. Oh, and the jam by Aton. A nice release from the pick and roll there from Aton. And he gets rewarded for it for three. Gordon gets rebounded by Los Angeles. And they’re plus five on the boards after that rebound. Donic passes to Vanderbilt. Back to Donic and he elevates for the slam dunk over Yodas and Judas. Whoa. Not known for showing off Donish with the highlight reel jam. Did I say that? Wow. Impressive looks on the AT&T 5G slam cam. [Music] Pass to Valen Junis to the paint. Oh, and Johnson slams it in. Excellent movement on the play. the pass on time and on point outside Vanderbilt back to Donic and there’s Aiden Valenuna’s covering and Vanderbilt slams it in and since the halftime break their offense has just been on another level. Well, the coaching staff made some adjustments for the second half and they’ve come out with focus and execution. outside. Johnson connects from downtown. Johnson’s got seven points. Man, Hardway isn’t known for his passing, but he’ll find you when you’re open. Outside, Reeves. Pass to Vanderbilt. And here’s Donic. Five to shoot. And he sinks that one. Hitting the back of the rim on the way in. Donic just got 11 in the second half. Murray passes to Gordon. Hardway with it. He’s covered by Reeves down low and it goes out of bounds. That one off Johnson. All right, with this brief pause, let’s take a look at the league’s best passing teams. Number one, Los Angeles. Fifth on the list, the Nuggets. These two squads move the ball with ease. They play an attractive brand of basketball. The Lakers lead by 18. Pass to Reeves. Back to Donic. [Music] Here’s James. Dayton. A screen on Johnson. James with the ball guarded by Valenunis. We’ve seen this a million times. James using his incredible hoops IQ and getting to the free throw line. And let’s take a moment to get your take, guys, on the scoring so far for Los Angeles. Well, their passing has been just exceptional and it’s opened up the floor for them on numerous occasions. And we also got to talk about the number of points they’ve scored in transition. Just jumping all over the opposition in this regard. He misses the free throw. [Music] [Music] And the second free throw is good. And so Murray will bring it up for the Nuggets. 19-point game. And at home for the next game, it’ll be New York pulling in to face him. It’ll be a quick stopover at home before they have to get back out on the road. Count that one. Murray’s got 13. Yeah, that time Murray called his own number and it paid off for him. Donic passes to Vanderbelt. [Music] Now here is James covered by Johnson. Back to Vanderbilt. Gordon with a steal. Johnson with it. Picked up by James. Here’s Gordon. And Gordon with the big finish. My goodness. Aaron Gordon putting on a show. Now here’s Reeds. Give him eight. Vanderville. A screen on Hardaway. Reeves the pass to Vanderbelt. Clock at six. Reeves against Hardaway. And again, the Lakers no good. Won’t see him miss that one too many times. Yeah, it was a great look. Sometimes they don’t fall. You’ve just got to keep taking great shots. James passes to Vanderbilt. The shots good on the assist by James. Vanderbelt’s gotten four this quarter. Like a matador. Olay. There was no defense. That has to be one of the easier shots I’ve seen tonight. An unorganized defense like that is not going to help them close this. James finds Vanderbilt. Back to James. Pass to Aiden. Oh, and the jam by Aton. It’s always good to see Aton going up strong using his physical gifts. And the dunk by Valenunis. For a center, he’s maybe undized, but his ability to get in the air to make a play balances that out. Donic passes to Aiden. Here’s Reeves defended by Hardaway. Reeves against Hardaway. Vanderbilt with a screen. [Music] Now here’s Reeves. Defense is right there. Donic. And they recover it beyond the ark. Nails it from three. Donic has got 31. Well, he’s going back to the ark. He might be building some momentum from range here in the second halfway. The pass to Valenunis [Music] to the inside and stolen by Reeds. Pass to James and slam dunk by James. Talk about taking advantage of the opportunity. How about the anticipation right there that led to the steal, then he goes straight to the bucket. Turning great defense into great offense. That’s the kind of stop you’re looking for. And so it’s the Los Angeles Lakers continuing to pile it on, up 22 as we head to the break. And they’ve racked up a ton of turnovers. We’ll be right back with you shortly. And while we have a chance, let’s go to our State Farm assist of the game. You can count on him to deliver a few assists like this one each and every night. Well, that is what coaches want from their point guards. Set others up. Play the game the right way. [Applause] And as we head into the fourth, we’ll see if there’s a comeback in the works or if it’s more of the same for the first three quarters. At the forward slots, it’s LeBron and Aimura. Connect is out there with Marcus Smart. And it’s Hayes and at the pivot spot manning the middle. That’s the Laker 5. Well, Smart is known as a very physical player. You almost think he welcomes getting hit while shooting. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] First one falls for him. They’re doing great work at the free throw line this half. That bodess well for their chances to close out this game. [Music] He makes one or two that time. Hey Grant, when you look at the mentality of today’s players, what are the differences from back in your day? Well, BA, through the wonders of technology, players interacting more directly with their fans and telling their own stories. Also, there’s a brotherhood. It’s a bit more brotherly with players on different teams more friendly than in days past. You know, I’m not sure how I feel about that. Power play by Valenunis just musling past any inside resistance. Aimura outside pass to Hayes. Now here is James. [Music] Achi Murray in the post and it’s slammed in by Achi Murray. The one hand dunk just looks so fluid and absolutely even smooth when he’s powering it home like that. Murray up top defended by Smart. Murray against Smart. Murray passes to Brown and it’s going to be a 3second call. When you’re trying to cut into a lead, you can’t afford that kind of mistake. Yeah, that’s just a lack of focus. Plays like that can really frustrate a coaching staff. Smart against Murray. Smart outside. [Applause] Kuminga against James. [Music] Six on the shot clock. Double team on James. Valenunis with a rebound. Alen Tunis has got his seventh rebound here tonight. [Music] Kuminga against James. Outside. Kuminga. Hayes against Johnson. Here’s Valenudas. He’s locked in. drains his fifth shot in his many attempts. Now there’s the strength we talk about often with Valenunis. It helps him convert on these physical takes. James passes to Smart. Back to James. That’s in coming off an assist from Smart. James has got 11 in the second half. And just executing at a high level. I mean taking what the defense allows and putting in the work. Yeah, come on. They’re just having their way out there and continuing to press the advantage. [Music] Murray against Smart. Murray passes to Johnson. No good with the triple. The Lakers lead by 23. And we’re about 3 minutes into the fourth now. Double team on James. Hayes for three. The rebound by Murray. And so it’s Murray who brings up the ball for Denver. They’ve only given up five points here in the fourth. James against Murray. James passes to Hayes. Misses the three for Denver. They’ve gotten half of their attempts to fall in the fourth. Two for four now. Dominga’s shot is off. Los Angeles has gone 0 for two from outside here in the fourth quarter. Smart passes to James. Smart a screen on Kaminga. [Music] James deciding where to go with it and no good. Excellent D there from Kuminga. [Music] Here’s Brown. and a vital mission for the NBA. Mental health. Commissioner Silver has said it’s the most important issue for the league. And I applaud Adam for those comments he’s made about it. I mean, the season is so difficult. It can really take a toll on your mind. So, it’s great the league is trying to help players out through this. Time out. Time out. So, JJ Reick calls for the timeout looking to get everyone dialed in and engaged. [Music] Heat up [Music] here. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] Some changes now for the Lakers. DeAndre Aton, he’s checked in for Hayes. Reeves comes in for LeBron. And Luca Donic subbed in for Smart. [Music] Here’s Donic. Has to connect. Back to Donic. Played it in with a nice touch off the window. Donic has got 33 points. Well, he’s been in total control offensively and the defense has had no answers. Hardway. The pass to Johnson. Rebound the Lakers. Hayden’s got rebound number 12 here already in the game. Pass to Donic. The three is up. Sinks it from distance. Donic has got 36 points. Well, coming out of the half, he’s been much more aggressive, helping them space the floor. Here’s Gordon up again. And Aiden pulls it down. Los Angeles has gone one for three in the fourth quarter from range. Now Reeves with the drive. Had a nice finish on the layup. Time and time again they’re creating good looks from close range. The Nuggets have gotten just three of nine shots to go in. Struggling this fourth quarter. Pass to Hardway. Joic with a screen on Donic inside and the dunk by Joic. Well, run into Joic too hard on the screen and you’ll be on the bench for a while. Hardway against Donic. Good D by Joic. Well, give credit to the defense for cutting him off. Normally that would be easy points for him at the rim. Gordon outside. [Music] Pass to Johnson. Gordon outside. Shot clock at six. Johnson finds Joic. And it’s Denver with another confident stroke from Joic. Shot ready on the catch. [Applause] And here’s Donic. Fires from the line and he gets it to go off the front iron. Donic has got 38 points and trying to put the game away. He’s been nails all evening. Yeah, but you can’t let up now. We’ve seen too many wild comebacks in this league. It’s stolen by Donic. Up and over Hardway. And there’s another one for the Lakers. Relentless in his approach. He has one thing on his mind. Close this game out. Hardway. The pass to Joic. Shoots over Aton. And it’s Joic. That time on the assist from Hardaway. Hardway’s got five assists tonight. Donic outside from the ark. Denver grabs the miss. Yeah. And the defense has really got to tighten up on him. I mean, he’s just too dangerous from the three-point line. Joic passes to Gordon. Here’s Brown guarded by Donuch. Here’s Hardaway and he dumps it down. All he needed was a little separation. So effective. Boy, cleared the path. Put him in position for a prime time dunk. Well, give credit to the screener there. That’s how you help free up your teammates. Punch shot is good and he’s carried them this quarter. A dominant offensive stretch. Donic against Hardaway. Gordon outside Johnson and the NBA has regular season games outside the US all over the world. How important is that? It’s so important to be a I mean basketball has become a global sport. And just look at the recent MVPs. They’re mostly international players. So playing games in those countries has helped the game grow all over the world. Jamal Murray has checked in for Johnson. The Lakers have gotten eight of 14 shots to drop so far here in the fourth quarter. Pass to connect. Puts up a three. That’s good. And it’s Smart with the assist. Smart has got his third assist of the night. And just unreal from outside with deep range. Connect is just knocked down. Murray passes to Joic to the middle. Here’s Hardaway. Book it again. Seven for 12 and gone at the defense. Their offense is really humming right now and it’s because of the beautiful ball distribution. Smart passes to Vincent. Smart against Murray. Pass to Vanderbilt. [Music] The shot off that time. Good work defensively by Gordon Hardway with it. Here’s Yic. And count that. Two points and a chance for one more at the line. Look at Joic gutting it out against the defense. Really earning that and one chance. What’s up? [Music] The free throw drops for Joic will stand the minimum games threshold for postseason awards. It seems to be working as a motivator well especially Brian because those awards can impact player contracts. So that benchmark 65 games about 80% of the schedule that’s a bar that players are looking to surpass. Do you like the 65 games or would you like to see a different number? I mean I think it’s great. If anything, I’d like to see it higher. Murray passes to Joic. [Music] There’s a minute 59 left in the fourth quarter. And the dunk by Joic. Strong performance from him, but he may need to do even more if they’re going to win this game. Smart with the ball. Has to connect. Smart outside. Oh, there’s the alley. Gordon with a steal. Smart against Murray. And here’s Hardaway. Takes one from 10 ft. Vanderbilt pulls it in. The Lakers lead by 23. And what a complete performance we saw from them. A dominant win in every way for the Lakers. Pretty clear who the better team was today. They dominated in just about every phase of this game. Grant, it’s almost hard to think what didn’t go well for them. Their plan, their execution, everything was absolutely on point. And with this one, they go double digits in the win column. Yeah, this is far from the last word in the season series. Still three more meetings between them and plenty of motivation to square things up. And even the opposing fans can’t deny this was a sensational game for Luca Donuch. Well, bottom line, he was just unstoppable at times. Not much you can do when he’s playing with that kind of confidence. Shot clock at three. Here’s Murray. Gets rebounded by Los Angeles. 29 seconds left in the fourth. Outside Vanderbilt. And here’s Connect outside. Drops in the three. That’s an inspired ball club. They fought hard and during the most important moments they made big plays. Yeah, they saved their best basketball for this home stretch and they certainly earned this one. Hardway no good. Now here’s Smart. So we see the Lakers taking the W here. They didn’t have too many problems tonight. They didn’t. Just a tremendous team effort. Once they had that big lead, they were not going to let the visitors back into the game. And now let’s check in with Ally Leforce with the player of the game. Ally Luka, you played well tonight and your team got the win. Those two usually go together, but what else is the difference? Yeah, I think we had a had a great game. You know, we had a I think it was a great game today. You know, we step up together, play good defense, and it was a great win. Team defense goes a long way. Thanks, Luca. Ally, thank you as always. And that’s going to do it tonight folks for our broadcast for Grant Hill, Alli Leforce, and coach Stan Van Gundy. This is Brian Anderson. Thank you for watching the NBA on 2K Sports. And time now to introduce our player of the game, Luca Donuch.
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