Jokic scores 34, Porter contributes 24 as Nuggets dominate second half to defeat Lakers 127-102

 LOS ANGELES — Nikola Jokic poured in 34 points, and Michael Porter Jr. added 24 as the Denver Nuggets rallied in the second half to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 127-102 on Saturday night.

Russell Westbrook contributed 14 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds against his former team.

For the Lakers, Austin Reaves scored 19 points, while LeBron James added 18. The loss marked their second consecutive home defeat after starting the season 7-0 at home. Rui Hachimura, back in the starting lineup after missing five games due to a left ankle sprain, scored 10 points in 22 minutes.

This was the first matchup between the teams since the Nuggets eliminated the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs earlier this year. Denver also swept them in the Western Conference Finals the year before.

Denver trailed by six points at halftime but exploded in the second half, outscoring Los Angeles 37-15 in the third quarter and 70-39 overall after the break, dominating both inside and from beyond the arc.

Takeaways:

Lakers: Los Angeles led 63-57 at halftime but faltered in the third quarter, allowing Denver to seize control. The game showed that the Lakers still have work to do to break free from Denver’s dominance.

Nuggets: Despite playing on the second night of a back-to-back and having traveled, Denver was sharp from beyond the arc, hitting 16 of 32 three-pointers.

Key Moment: Westbrook sealed a dominant third quarter with a putback dunk as time expired, extending the lead to 94-77. He celebrated emphatically by twirling his arms before sprinting back down the court.

Key Stat: In the pivotal third quarter, the Nuggets outscored the Lakers 20-4 in the paint. Jokic scored nine points during the surge as Denver put up 37 points in the quarter.

Up Next: The Nuggets will host the New York Knicks on Monday, while the Lakers will visit Phoenix for the start of a road back-to-back.

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