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Lakers’ Luka Doncic has perfect reaction to OT win over Nuggets
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- Lakers’ Luka Doncic has perfect reaction to OT win over Nuggets
Lakers' Luka Doncic has perfect reaction to OT win over Nuggets appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Luka Doncic didn't have much left in the tank after the Los Angeles Lakers survived a 127-125 overtime marathon against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night. As he walked toward the locker room at Crypto.com Arena, the exhaustion was written all over his face. When asked how he felt following his game-winning heroics , Doncic offered a blunt, unfiltered response that perfectly summed up the night.
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"Feel great, tired as s*it," Doncic said in the tunnel. "Gotta get some rest. Great win though, great win."
The Slovenian superstar earned every bit of that exhaustion. In a game that felt like a heavyweight title fight, Doncic finished with a massive triple-double , tallying 30 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds. But it was his activity in the closing seconds that defined the game. After burying a clutch stepback jumper to give the Los Angeles Lakers a two-point lead, he switched onto Tim Hardaway Jr. and swatted away a potential game-winning three-pointer as the buzzer sounded.
While Doncic provided the finishing touches, Austin Reaves kept the Lakers afloat for much of the evening. Reaves was relentless, dropping a game-high 32 points on an efficient 12-of-21 shooting. Marcus Smart also played the role of defensive pest to perfection, recording 21 points and five steals. The combined effort was barely enough to offset Nikola Jokic , who put up 24 points and 16 boards.
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The victory keeps the Lakers surging in the Western Conference standings, but more importantly, it proves they can execute when the lights are brightest. For Doncic, the individual accolades and the highlight-reel block take a backseat to the result. After logging nearly 45 minutes of intense action against the defending champs, the only thing on his mind was a win and a bed. The Lakers will take the rest, but they'll take the "W" first.
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