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NBA…where amazing things happen

Man, what a game!

I often hear from my European coaching friends how NBA regular-season games are often unwatchable, but nights like this make everything worth it. Or in my case, morning, as I woke up early, couldn’t sleep well because of back problems, then gutted through the game with spasms, only to jump in the air at the end. And regret it immediately as my body fell like 41-year old LeBron James did after he made that crazy Dennis Rodman-sytle full-horizontal Superman dive with the game on the line.

That play was just one of many crazy moments that will make this game about as iconic as a regular-season game can get.

Huge game with high stakes, a game that almost counts double because of the standings and the tiebreaker on the line. A game with wild shots, mistakes, and swings… and the Lakers managing to escape with a win on a last-second Luka Dončić winner in overtime.

Today’s notes:

Luka delivers his first Lakers game-winner (VIDEO)

Austin Reaves’ imperfect high-scoring game, with perfect missed-free-throw execution (VIDEO)

Nuggets put pressure on Smart, Smart responds with huge plays (VIDEO)

Deandre Ayton’s overtime resurrection (VIDEO)

Shotmaking, one of the many wild swings

1-Luka delivers his first Lakers game-winner (VIDEO)

Over the last couple of days I got sucked into endless debates on X over Luka Dončić and his stature in the league, the MVP race, and best-player conversations. The man has been subject to nationwide, months-long criticism, when even analysts who watch him and the team closely thought winning the Player of the Month award in January was not enough to be in the MVP conversation.

Dončić’s recent play is the best way to quiet the noise, playing his best basketball at the right time, following up his first 50-point game as a Laker with his first game-winner in purple and gold, showing the NBA is still his stage and that he can outduel even the best player in the world on any given night, with a last-second overtime game-winner.

Dončić played another very solid all-around game, collecting a 30-point, 13-assist, 11-rebound triple-double, along with another solid effort and defensive playmaking performance with four stocks.

However, for most of the second half it looked like his shotmaking, with Dončić just 10 of 26 from the floor, would not be enough to beat the unsolvable puzzle that is Nikola Jokić and the high-octane Nuggets offense. But like he did several times this season, Dončić made some key shots when it mattered the most.

With less than three minutes to go in regulation, he scored six consecutive points on two rare occasions when the Nuggets didn’t double him. Two three-point plays against Jamal Murray erased a dangerous six-point lead. The game-winning bucket was a similar setup, when Dončić managed to escape the double by a quick drive to his left, beating Spencer Jones to his preferred baseline spot.

Before the Luka trade, the Lakers had lost 16 of their last 20 vs. the Nuggets.

Since the trade, they’re 4-1 against Denver when Luka plays.
2-Austin Reaves’ imperfect high-scoring game, with perfect missed-free-throw execution (VIDEO)

Dončić’s game-winner, and even overtime, wouldn’t have been possible if Austin Reaves hadn’t executed an almost perfect sequence of a missed free throw followed by a putback that forced overtime (see an amazing slow-motion angle here), a play reminiscent of one Dončić made a couple of years back as a Maverick during his special 60–21–10 night. Reaves apparently overruled JJ Redick’s instructions and instead went with his instincts, missing left rather than right and making an amazing play.

Reaves had another efficient scoring night, his third 30-point game in a row, scoring 32 points on 12-of-21 shooting, playing his role as the secondary attacker, attacking closeouts and gaps off Dončić almost to perfection.

Almost, because Reaves had four fourth-quarter turnovers that could have been devastating if not for a couple of lucky bounces at the end. One was a bad skip-ahead pass that was stolen and resulted in an Aaron Gordon corner three with less than two minutes to go. The other, officially counted as a missed field goal, came after his drive downhill off a Dončić double-team with 17 seconds left in regulation.

Luckily, the Lakers came up with enough crucial stops to make up for some of the mistakes they made in high-pressure late-game situations.

3-Nuggets put pressure on Smart, Smart responds with huge plays (VIDEO)

When it comes to crucial stops, you cannot imagine a Lakers win without Marcus Smart having his hands all over it. Literally!

Smart made several crucial plays in key moments, including the last of his five steals on a crucial last-minute possession in regulation, and a super important three-pointer with 30 seconds left in overtime.

As I predicted in my preview, the Lakers were deliberate about attacking Jokić all game. David Adelman started the game in drop against Dončić, then scrapped that tactic after four minutes and two early Dončić threes, switching to hedge and blitz. The other tweak Adelman made is something they used in the previous matchup, but leaned on much more last night, which was putting Jokić on Smart, sending doubles at Dončić and daring Smart to shoot. The Lakers had a similar strategy on the other end, doubling Jokić for most of the game, resulting in both stars collecting triple-doubles and posting big assist numbers.

If we learned anything about Smart this season, it is that no matter what happens he won’t lose confidence in his shot and stop shooting. The Nuggets’ tactic didn’t scare Smart. If anything, it was the opposite, as he took 12 three-point attempts.

He opened the game hot, making four of his six threes, mostly in pick-and-pop situations against Jokić. But Smart followed that up with five misses in a row during the stretch in the third quarter when the Lakers ended up losing their early 17-point lead and seemed to settle for Smart threes too easily.

Source: NBA official website

Tactically, it was easy to question the Lakers settling for those third-quarter Smart threes. But seeing him take them, and then hit the crucial one in overtime after missing two similar late-game opportunities in the previous game against Denver, you could admire the trust and the potential upside of his teammates’ belief in Smart to deliver in big moments.

4-Deandre Ayton’s overtime resurrection (VIDEO)

My Ayton game notes were almost sealed before overtime: too passive, not nearly enough force, getting blocked and stripped on a couple of attempts at the rim. Benched again in the fourth quarter in favour of Jaxson Hayes and small-ball.

Then overtime came with the Lakers opening the period with their starting group, and more importantly with a newly found spirit. Ayton was a non-factor with a five-point, seven-rebound game in regulation, but stepped up and made a huge impact when overtime offered a bonus chance for redemption. Redick decided to give Ayton a chance defending isolations without help for a couple of possessions, going away from their double-team strategy, and Ayton delivered with two huge baskets and several crucial defensive stops against Murray and Jokić.

Now, Ayton not grabbing the rebound after that last block was an example of small but often crucial lapses that make Ayton such a puzzling player to understand. It gave Jokić another chance, which he took full advantage of on the subsequent play, scoring on a drive with a hook over Ayton. But overall, seeing Ayton contribute in a win and make a late stand against Jokić was encouraging.

5-Shotmaking, one of the many wild swings

In my preview I said the Lakers would have to have a good shotmaking game and get lucky with the Nuggets missing some threes to overcome Jokić and the NBA’s best offense. Early in the game, both things happened and the Lakers were in full control. The Lakers shot 9 of 20, or 45%, from three in the first half, while the Nuggets were only 7 of 22, or 32%. Murray, who was on fire against the Lakers in the prior two games, couldn’t make a shot, missing his next 13 attempts after making the first one.

Source: NBA official website

But after a good start, the Lakers went cold from outside while the Nuggets caught fire, making 11 of their 23 three-point attempts in the second half. Just one of many wild swings in this game. Especially in the fourth quarter, it seemed that Aaron Gordon and the rest of the Nuggets made every possible corner three, with each one looking like a dagger that would put the Lakers’ hopes away for good.

But Reaves, who scored 14 in the fourth, Smart, Dončić, and the rest always found a way to respond and eventually win a game in which the Nuggets shot 40% from three and an unbelievable 11 of 14 from the corners.

Another of the many positives from last night, and another reason why winning this game, as wild as the swings and the ending were, felt well deserved in the end.

SO MUCH FOR THE LAKERS KILLER. THANKS, MARCUS!

Jamal Murray earned the ‘Hot Garbage Treatment’ for his horrid performance in Denver’s 127-125 LOSS vs. Los Angeles Lakers 5 PTS, 1/14 FGM – 7.1 FG%, 1/7 3PM, LOSS Thoughts on his performance? pic.twitter.com/jgC1zuWCbh— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) March 15, 2026

Outside of the BIG 3, he’s the most important Laker. pic.twitter.com/5Vz7TkSxzl— Witness King James (@WITNESSKJ) March 15, 2026