Luka Doncic has triple-double as Lakers surge past depleted Nuggets
DENVER — The Lakers started their annual Grammy road trip with a comeback win.
Luka Doncic had 38 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Lakers rallied to beat the Denver Nuggets, 115-107, on Tuesday night.
LeBron James, who was not voted an All-Star starter for the first time since his rookie season, had 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Lakers (26-16), who played the second half without center Deandre Ayton after he was poked in the eye. Marcus Smart added 15 points.
“Just contributions from everybody,” Coach JJ Redick said, singling out Jaxson Hayes, Drew Timme and Jarred Vanderbilt for key contributions in supporting roles. “It was a great team win.”
Jamal Murray scored 26 of his 28 points in the first half for Denver (29-15) and added 11 assists, but he shot just 1 for 5 from the field in the second half when the Nuggets were outscored 58-36. Peyton Watson and Aaron Gordon had 18 points each, and Spencer Jones added 16 points.
With Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II sitting courtside, the short-handed Nuggets led by 16 in the third quarter despite playing without four rotation players, including Nikola Jokic, who has missed the past 12 games with a hyperextended left knee, and backup center Jonas Valanciunas (calf).
A close game added to the budding rivalry that began in the 2023 Western Conference finals, when Denver swept the Lakers on its way to its only NBA title.
It appeared the Nuggets would cruise to another win after jumping out to a 13-point lead in the first quarter (when they made nine 3-point shots) and had a strong end to the second quarter.
Murray finished the first half with a 35-second flurry to give Denver a 71-57 lead. He fed Gordon for a lob dunk, assisted on Watson’s 3-pointer with 7.3 seconds left and then drained a 56-foot heave at the horn.
Denver extended the lead to 16 early in the third quarter but the Lakers scored 13 straight to pull within 80-77 midway through the period. The Nuggets answered to lead 88-81, but James hit a 3-pointer and a layup to get the Lakers within 88-86 heading into the fourth.
“It showed the character of our team,” Doncic said of how the Lakers bounced back from the end of the first half. “… We just stayed together.”
Doncic scored or assisted on 11 unanswered Lakers at one point during their third-quarter surge.
“Luka, you can’t turn the engine halfway with him,” Redick said. “Once the engine’s on, like he’s in kill mode. And it’s on me as a coach to make sure that everybody else is involved, and it’s on him too, on the court, to make sure that. And truthfully, I think he’s done a phenomenal job of that the last couple weeks.”
The Lakers tied it early in the fourth and had two chances to take their first lead of the night, but Gabe Vincent missed a free throw and James turned it over. It was tied again at 96-all when Doncic made a pair of free throws with 6:42 left to give the Lakers their first lead.
Denver then turned it over twice and Smart hit three free throws and a corner 3-pointer to extend the lead to 104-96. The Nuggets missed four times on their next possession during a stretch of 10 straight missed shots as the Lakers held a 108-96 lead after a 16-0 run. Watson ended the drought with a 3-pointer.
Watson stole an inbounds pass and Gordon hit a 3-pointer to make it 108-102 with 2:15 left, but James’ dunk sealed the win.
ALL-STAR STATUS
While Doncic was voted in as an All-Star starter for the Feb. 15 event at the Intuit Dome, James will have to wait for a vote from coaches or a special selection from NBA commissioner Adam Silver to earn his 22nd All-Star honor. “Given the missed games early, wasn’t surprised,” Redick said, referring to James missing the first 14 games of the season because of sciatica. “I believe he’ll be in the All-Star Game.”
UP NEXT
The Lakers return home for a road game against the Clippers on Thursday at 7 p.m., then leave town for six straight out of town.
"Contributions from everybody… great team win."
JJ Redick speaks with the media after the #Lakers go to Denver and defeat the Nuggets, 115-107. #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/JjCyR3imfY
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 21, 2026
"Take it one game at a time; we're 1-0 on an 8-game road trip."
LeBron James (19 PTS, 9 REB, 8 AST) talks with @LakersReporter after the #LakeShow down the Nuggets, 115-107. pic.twitter.com/du9Z3L2Aj2
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 21, 2026
"We kept together." #LakeShow
Luka Dončić (38 PTS, 13 REB, 10 AST, 2 STL) speaks with the media after the #Lakers go to Denver and defeat the Nuggets, 115-107. Get closer to the action with Spectrum SportsNet+.
: https://t.co/k8Sa1tLkWs pic.twitter.com/Qx0tbG6UC4— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 21, 2026
"We just stayed the course; that was big."
Marcus Smart (15 PTS, 2 REB, AST) talks with the media after the #Lakers defeat the Nuggets, 115-107. #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/AQEHhkHOAh
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 21, 2026