Luka Doncic All-Round Effort Helps LA Lakers Down Denver Nuggets With...

Last Updated:January 21, 2026, 12:14 IST

The Lakers mounted a second-half comeback to secure a 115-107 against the Nuggets as Doncic starred with a 38-point tripled-double.

Los Angeles Lakers forward/guard Luka Dončić reacts during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Luka Doncic recorded a 38-point triple-double as the Los Angeles Lakers mounted a second-half comeback to secure a 115-107 away victory against the Denver Nuggets in Colorado on Tuesday.

The Lakers faced a significant challenge after Denver’s explosive first half, leading 71-57 at the break, with Jamal Murray scoring 26 points.

However, Los Angeles improved their defensive play in the second half, limiting Murray’s impact, while Doncic and LeBron James continued to score, helping the Lakers claim an impressive win.

Doncic ended the game with 38 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists, while James contributed 19 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, as the Lakers outscored Denver 58-36 in the second half.

“They were playing great basketball, Murray playing at an All-Star level … they have a lot of great players," Doncic said. “We just stayed together and fought this out."

With this victory, the Lakers improved to 26-16, while Denver, in third place, fell to 29-15.

In San Francisco, the Golden State Warriors, still recovering from the season-ending knee injury of Jimmy Butler on Monday, were defeated 145-127 by the Toronto Raptors.

Immanuel Quickley led the scoring for Toronto with 40 points in a wire-to-wire victory.

In Houston, the Rockets ended the San Antonio Spurs’ three-game winning streak, overcoming a 16-point deficit to win 111-106 against their in-form Texas rivals.

Reed Sheppard led the scoring with an impressive 21-point performance off the bench, including 12 points in the fourth quarter, to secure the win for Houston.

Turkish international Alperen Sengun added 20 points, and Kevin Durant finished with 18, contributing to Houston’s victory.

The Rockets trailed by 16 points in the third quarter before a 13-0 run erased San Antonio’s lead.

“We had good energy the whole game," Sheppard said.

“When we cut the lead a little bit there in the fourth quarter, it was just ‘keep fighting, keep staying together, we’re close, keep putting the pieces together and go on a big run.’ And that’s what we did. It was a great team effort."

San Antonio had a strong start, outscoring Houston 39-28 in the first quarter and leading 70-60 at halftime.

However, the Spurs’ shooting faltered in the fourth quarter, as they made only 7-of-28 shots from the field and missed all 13 three-point attempts.

Julian Champagnie led San Antonio’s scoring with 27 points, while Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox each added 14 points.

In other games on Tuesday, the Chicago Bulls hit 25 three-pointers in a 138-110 home victory against the Los Angeles Clippers, with Coby White leading the scoring with 27 points.

In Salt Lake City, Keyonte George scored 43 points, overshadowing Anthony Edwards’ 38-point performance, as the lowly Utah Jazz upset the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-122.

(With Inputs From Agencies)

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