The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 127-125 in overtime on March 14, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. This Denver Nuggets vs. Lakers match player stats breakdown covers every number from the game, from the starting lineups to the final box score. Both teams entered the night bunched near the top of the Western Conference, with the Lakers, Nuggets, Rockets and Timberwolves all within a game of each other in the standings.
Denver played the game without Peyton Watson, KJ Simpson, Curtis Jones and DaRon Holmes II, while Los Angeles was missing Maxi Kleber, Chris Mañon and Nick Smith Jr. Austin Reaves forced overtime with a deliberate missed free throw that he rebounded and converted into a tying floater, and Luka Doncic settled the extra period with a fadeaway jumper with 0.5 seconds left.
Match Overview
| Detail | Information |
| Date | March 14, 2026 |
| Venue | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California |
| Competition | NBA Regular Season |
| Final Score | Los Angeles Lakers 127, Denver Nuggets 125 (OT) |
| Lakers Record After Game | 42-25 |
| Nuggets Record After Game | 41-27 |
Pre-Match Context
Both teams arrived at this game in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race. The Lakers, Nuggets, Rockets and Timberwolves each held 41 wins entering the night, all jostling for positioning in the middle of the conference standings.
Denver had already secured season series tiebreakers over Houston and Minnesota, giving this Lakers game extra weight in the seeding picture. Denver was without four regular rotation pieces in Peyton Watson, KJ Simpson, Curtis Jones and DaRon Holmes II.
Los Angeles played without Maxi Kleber, Chris Mañon and Nick Smith Jr., though its top six players were all available. Jamal Murray struggled through a difficult shooting night for Denver and fouled out early in overtime, which forced the Nuggets to lean harder on Nikola Jokic down the stretch.
Quarter by Quarter Score
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 |
| Denver Nuggets | 26 | 24 | 37 | 31 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 34 | 27 | 26 | 31 |
| Team | OT | Final |
| Denver Nuggets | 7 | 125 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 9 | 127 |
Quarter by Quarter Breakdown
First Quarter
The Lakers opened fast and outscored the Nuggets 34-26 in the first quarter. Los Angeles shot 13 of 22 from the field in the opening period. Austin Reaves scored 10 points, and Luka Doncic added 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting to power the early lead. Denver stayed connected behind Nikola Jokic, who scored 9 points on 4-of-7 shooting in the period.
Second Quarter
Los Angeles carried its lead into the second quarter, outscoring Denver 27-24 to take a 61-50 halftime advantage. LeBron James scored 11 points in the quarter on 4 of 5 shooting. Denver got scoring from Cameron Johnson, who hit 2 of 7 shots, including two 3-pointers in the frame.
Third Quarter
Denver flipped the momentum in the third quarter, outscoring the Lakers 37-26. The Nuggets shot 15 of 22 from the field in the period, cutting into the deficit. Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic combined for 16 points in the quarter as Denver clawed back into the game.
Fourth Quarter
Both teams scored 31 points in the fourth quarter, and the game came down to the final possessions. Austin Reaves intentionally missed his second free throw with 5.2 seconds left while the Lakers trailed. He grabbed his own rebound and made a floater with 1.9 seconds remaining to tie the score at 118 and force overtime.
Overtime
Denver and Los Angeles traded baskets through the extra period. Marcus Smart hit a 3-pointer to put the Lakers ahead with 30 seconds left, and Jokic answered with a driving layup to tie the game with 15.1 seconds to go. Luka Doncic then made a fadeaway jumper with 0.5 seconds remaining for the final margin, and he blocked Tim Hardaway Jr.’s final shot attempt to seal the win.
Team Stats Comparison
| Category | Denver Nuggets | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Field Goal % | 46.3% (44-95) | 51.6% (48-93) |
| 3-Point % | 38.8% (19-49) | 33.3% (14-42) |
| Free Throw % | 81.8% (18-22) | 65.4% (17-26) |
| Total Rebounds | 41 | 46 |
| Assists | 33 | 31 |
| Steals | 13 | 10 |
| Blocks | 5 | 6 |
| Turnovers | 16 | 17 |
| Personal Fouls | 22 | 20 |
Key Numbers That Decided the Game
The shot chart and the free throw line explain most of the final margin between these two teams.
- Los Angeles shot 51.6 percent from the field compared to 46.3 percent for Denver.
- Denver made 81.8 percent of its free throws, well above the Lakers’ 65.4 percent mark.
- The Lakers out-rebounded the Nuggets 46-41, including a 39-34 edge on the defensive glass.
- Denver forced 17 Lakers turnovers while committing 16 of its own.
- Los Angeles outscored Denver 34-26 in the opening quarter, a gap the Nuggets never fully closed until the fourth.
Full Box Score — Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jokic anchored the Nuggets with a triple-double, while Jamal Murray had one of the worst shooting nights of his season before fouling out in overtime. Aaron Gordon and Cameron Johnson provided scoring support, and Tim Hardaway Jr. gave Denver a lift off the bench.
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST |
| Nikola Jokic | 43:00 | 24 | 16 | 14 |
| Aaron Gordon | 34:49 | 27 | 5 | 2 |
| Cameron Johnson | 43:01 | 18 | 4 | 3 |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | 28:33 | 20 | 1 | 3 |
| Christian Braun | 33:12 | 12 | 1 | 3 |
| Bruce Brown | 19:41 | 12 | 4 | 2 |
| Jamal Murray | 36:03 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Jonas Valanciunas | 3:15 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Spencer Jones | 23:26 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Player | FG | 3PT | FT |
| Nikola Jokic | 10-19 | 2-6 | 2-2 |
| Aaron Gordon | 9-16 | 5-10 | 4-7 |
| Cameron Johnson | 6-13 | 4-10 | 2-2 |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | 6-13 | 4-10 | 4-4 |
| Christian Braun | 5-9 | 0-2 | 2-2 |
| Bruce Brown | 4-6 | 2-3 | 2-2 |
| Jamal Murray | 1-14 | 1-7 | 2-3 |
| Jonas Valanciunas | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Spencer Jones | 2-4 | 1-1 | 0-0 |
Denver’s bench outscored the Lakers reserves, led by Tim Hardaway Jr.’s 20 points on 6 of 13 shooting. Jonas Valanciunas, Tyus Jones, Zeke Nnaji, Jalen Pickett, David Roddy and Julian Strawther did not play in this game.
Full Box Score — Los Angeles Lakers
Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic combined for 62 points and delivered the two biggest plays of the fourth quarter and overtime. LeBron James added 17 points and a hustle play late in regulation, while Marcus Smart hit a key 3-pointer in overtime and Deandre Ayton scored inside down the stretch.
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST |
| Austin Reaves | 45:31 | 32 | 7 | 6 |
| Luka Doncic | 43:01 | 30 | 11 | 13 |
| Marcus Smart | 35:18 | 21 | 3 | 2 |
| LeBron James | 40:13 | 17 | 6 | 5 |
| Deandre Ayton | 27:04 | 9 | 9 | 2 |
| Rui Hachimura | 25:24 | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| Jaxson Hayes | 20:50 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Jake LaRavia | 11:39 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Luke Kennard | 16:00 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Player | FG | 3PT | FT |
| Austin Reaves | 12-21 | 3-8 | 5-6 |
| Luka Doncic | 10-26 | 4-14 | 6-9 |
| Marcus Smart | 8-15 | 5-12 | 0-0 |
| LeBron James | 7-13 | 1-3 | 2-3 |
| Deandre Ayton | 4-6 | 0-0 | 1-4 |
| Rui Hachimura | 3-6 | 0-3 | 0-0 |
| Jaxson Hayes | 1-2 | 0-0 | 3-4 |
| Jake LaRavia | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Luke Kennard | 1-2 | 1-2 | 0-0 |
Kobe Bufkin, Bronny James, Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero and Jarred Vanderbilt did not play for the Lakers in this game.
Game Leaders and Top Performers
Nikola Jokic recorded 24 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists for his 27th triple-double of the season. His playmaking kept Denver within range throughout the fourth quarter comeback.
Luka Doncic finished with 30 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds, and he delivered the winning shot in overtime. He also blocked the Nuggets’ final possession attempt to secure the win.
Austin Reaves scored 32 points and created the tying possession in the final seconds of regulation. His intentionally missed free throw and follow-up floater sent the game to overtime.
Jamal Murray shot 1 of 14 from the field for 5 points and fouled out 31 seconds into overtime.
| Player | Team | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Austin Reaves | Lakers | 32 | 7 | 6 |
| Luka Doncic | Lakers | 30 | 11 | 13 |
| Nikola Jokic | Nuggets | 24 | 16 | 14 |
| Aaron Gordon | Nuggets | 27 | 5 | 2 |
Starting Lineups
| Position | Denver Nuggets | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Guard | Jamal Murray | Luka Doncic |
| Guard | Christian Braun | Austin Reaves |
| Forward | Cameron Johnson | LeBron James |
| Forward | Aaron Gordon | Marcus Smart |
| Center | Nikola Jokic | Deandre Ayton |
Injury Report
| Player | Team | Status |
| Peyton Watson | Nuggets | Out |
| KJ Simpson | Nuggets | Out |
| Curtis Jones | Nuggets | Out |
| DaRon Holmes II | Nuggets | Out |
| Maxi Kleber | Lakers | Out |
| Chris Mañon | Lakers | Out |
| Nick Smith Jr. | Lakers | Out |
Denver’s absences limited its depth on the wing, while the Lakers’ inactive list did not touch their main rotation. Neither team listed LeBron James, Luka Doncic or Nikola Jokic on the injury report, so all three stars were available for the full game.
Season Series and Head to Head
The Lakers have now won the last two meetings against the Nuggets, with Denver’s most recent win in the series coming in November 2024.
| Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| November 23, 2024 | Los Angeles | Denver Nuggets | 127-102 |
| March 19, 2025 | Los Angeles | Los Angeles Lakers | 120-108 |
| March 14, 2026 | Los Angeles | Los Angeles Lakers | 127-125 (OT) |
Conference Standings Context
Both teams sat in the crowded middle of the Western Conference playoff picture entering this game, tied in the win column with Houston and Minnesota. The result pushed the Lakers to 42-25 and dropped the Nuggets to 41-27 for the season.
| Team | Record Entering Game | Result |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 41-25 | Won, improved to 42-25 |
| Denver Nuggets | 41-26 | Lost, fell to 41-27 |
Broadcast and Stream Information
| Detail | Information |
| National Broadcast | ABC |
| Venue | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles |
| Attendance | 18,997 |
| Game Time | 2 hours, 46 minutes |
| Officials | Jacyn Goble, Scott Twardoski, Justin Van Duyne |
FAQ’s
What was the final score of the Nuggets vs Lakers game?
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets 127-125 in overtime on March 14, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena.
Who led the Nuggets in scoring?
Aaron Gordon led Denver with 27 points, while Nikola Jokic added 24 points with a 16-rebound, 14-assist triple-double.
Who led the Lakers in scoring?
Austin Reaves led Los Angeles with 32 points, and Luka Doncic added 30 points along with 13 assists and 11 rebounds.
How did the Lakers force overtime?
Austin Reaves intentionally missed his second free throw, rebounded his own miss, and made a floater with 1.9 seconds left in regulation to tie the game.
Who hit the game-winning shot?
Luka Doncic made a fadeaway jumper with 0.5 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Lakers the 127-125 win.
Did Jamal Murray play in overtime?
Jamal Murray played briefly in overtime before fouling out 31 seconds into the extra period, finishing 1 of 14 from the field.
Which players were unavailable for this game?
Denver was without Peyton Watson, KJ Simpson, Curtis Jones and DaRon Holmes II, while the Lakers were missing Maxi Kleber, Chris Mañon and Nick Smith Jr.
Conclusion
This overtime win kept the Lakers ahead of Denver in the tightly bunched Western Conference standings. Los Angeles leaned on Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic in the clutch, while Denver’s fourth-quarter rally fell just short after Jamal Murray’s shooting struggles and foul trouble in overtime.
Nikola Jokic’s triple-double kept the Nuggets competitive for the full 48 minutes and beyond, but the Lakers made the winning plays at both ends in the extra period. Denver returned home to host Philadelphia next, while Los Angeles traveled to face Houston in a game with similar playoff seeding stakes.
