Four Takeaways From The Lakers' 120-116 Overtime Win Over Denver
In a game between the top two teams in the Western Conference on Wednesday, the top-seeded Lakers beat the second-seeded Denver Nuggets in overtime, 120-116, to take a four-game lead over them into the All-Star break.
Here are our four takeaways from the game.
1. LeBron James With Another Triple-Double
James had his 20th triple-double with the Lakers on Wednesday, finishing with 32 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists.
The fact that James has 20 triple-doubles with the Lakers over a season and a half is stunning.
To put that into perspective, Kobe Bryant had 21 triple-doubles over 20 seasons with the Lakers.
James has been extremely effective as a scorer, facilitator and a rebounder this season, doing it all for the Lakers at age 35.
2. Anthony Davis Came Through
Davis scored back-to-back three-pointers in overtime, helping the Lakers enter the All-Star break with a record of 41-12.
He finished with 32 points and 10 rebounds. But after the Lakers' win, he wasn't celebrating his strong distance shooting or his impressive block against Nikola Jokic with 3 minutes and 22 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the Lakers trailing the Nuggets by two points, 103-101.
Instead something was eating away at him.
"I missed that free throw at the end," Davis told Spectrum SportsNet. "It's bothering me."
Davis was six-for-nine from the free throw line, missing one of his two shots from the charity stripe with 15.2 seconds left.
3. Dwight Howard and Alex Caruso Were Big
Howard had 14 points and 11 rebounds, five on the offensive end. And Caruso, who finished with 10 points, six rebounds and four assists, was a big nuisance on the defensive end.
They both made big contributions off of the bench. After Wednesday's game, Lakers' coach Frank Vogel was quick to sing their praises.
"I think Dwight and Alex really gave us a lift," Vogel told reporters. "Dwight with his matchup on [Jokic], the physicality with which he played. And Alex is our secret weapon. He comes in and usually provides a spark off the bench. I think those two guys were pivotal."
4. The Lakers Are Tough On The Road
The Lakers have the best road record in the league at 23-5.
And Wednesday's win marked their 17th-straight victory on the road against a Western Conference opponent.
Heading into the All-Star break, James said the Lakers are in a great spot.
"We are where we need to be," James said.
