Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic reconnect for first time since Mavericks trade
Today at 01:52 AM
Luka Doncic delivered his best performance yet with the Los Angeles Lakers, dropping 32 points to lead the Lakers to a dominant 123-100 victory over his friend Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets, snapping Denver's nine-game winning streak.
Luka Doncic vs Nikola Jokic
The stars are out for the LAKERS-NUGGETS showdown
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/TBw46czl6G
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 23, 2025
In his strongest performance with the Lakers, Luka Doncic tallied 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and four steals. For the first time this season, three other Lakers also surpassed the 20-point mark.
LeBron James contributed 25 points, while Austin Reaves added 23 and Rui Hachimura scored 21 before exiting with a left-side injury early in the fourth. Despite his absence, the Lakers surged ahead with a 12-2 run, extending their lead to 19.
Nikola Jokic recorded his 26th triple-double of the season, but he struggled offensively, shooting just 2-of-7 with six turnovers. He finished with 12 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Aaron Gordon put up 24 points, while Jamal Murray added 19 for Denver, which suffered its first loss of the month. Despite their strong run, the Nuggets have yet to win 10 straight games under Michael Malone's decade-long tenure.
Luka Doncic ending the Nuggets’ mastery of the Lakers
Since the Luka-AD trade, the Lakers faced their longtime rivals, the Nuggets, for the first time. In their previous meeting in November, Denver dominated with a 127-102 win behind Nikola Jokic's 34 points and 13 rebounds.
The Nuggets have controlled the head-to-head series, winning the last five matchups. The Lakers’ last regular-season victory in Denver came on April 10, 2022, in a 146-141 overtime thriller.
Tonight they had Luka Doncic. The Slovenian entered Saturday averaging just 14.7 points over his first three games with the Lakers. He more than doubled that mark, delivering a dominant performance.
After the intense matchup, the NBA shared a video of Doncic and Jokic embracing at midcourt, highlighting the mutual respect between the two superstar friends.
DONČIĆ x JOKIĆ
Much respect between these two greats! pic.twitter.com/tZh5gci0jU
— NBA (@NBA) February 23, 2025
With the victory, the Lakers advanced to 34-21, closing the gap on the Nuggets, who saw their nine-game win streak snapped and now hold a slim two-game lead at 37-20 for the West's No. 3 seed.
Doncic’s first meeting against the Mavericks
Up next for Luka Doncic and the LA Lakers is a highly anticipated clash with his former team, the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas shipped Doncic to Los Angeles in a blockbuster trade that brought Anthony Davis and Max Christie to the Mavericks.
The showdown is scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena. Before that, the Mavericks will battle the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, carrying a three-game winning streak into the matchup. Meanwhile, the Lakers enter Tuesday's contest with momentum from back-to-back wins. Doncic is set to play after being cleared for back-to-backs, but Davis remains out as he recovers from a groin injury.
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