The Los Angeles Lakers’ defense had no answer for Nikola Jokic on Tuesday night, and frankly, it wasn’t much of a mystery why.
The reigning Finals MVP carved up L.A. for 32 points, 14 rebounds and 9 assists in Denver’s 134-point explosion at Crypto.com Arena — a performance that extended the home team’s losing streak to five games and exposed defensive flaws that have become impossible to ignore.
Jokic shot 13-of-20 from the field and repeatedly found open teammates as the Lakers failed to provide consistent help defense. The 6-foot-11 Serbian made it look effortless, threading passes through traffic and hitting turnaround jumpers that had Anthony Davis shaking his head.
LeBron’s Vintage Night Goes to Waste
LeBron James turned in a vintage 40-point performance on 15-of-25 shooting, but the 39-year-old’s heroics couldn’t mask his team’s glaring defensive deficiencies. He added 8 rebounds and 7 assists while playing all but three minutes, looking every bit like the player who carried Cleveland to a championship eight years ago.
It was the kind of performance that should have been celebrated. Instead, it felt hollow.
“We’re just not executing our defensive schemes consistently,” James said afterward, his frustration barely contained. “When you give up 134 points at home, that’s not championship-level basketball.”
Davis struggled to contain Jokic in the post, managing just 18 points and 11 rebounds while picking up his fourth foul midway through the third quarter. The big man looked a step slow on rotations — a concerning trend for a team that has now allowed 125 or more points in four of their last five games.
Bench Gets Torched Again
The Lakers’ second unit was outscored 45-28 by Denver’s reserves, continuing a season-long pattern of bench struggles. Christian Wood provided the lone bright spot with 16 points off the pine, but Russell Westbrook managed just 8 points on 3-of-11 shooting in 28 minutes of frustrating basketball.
L.A. shot a respectable 51.2% from the field but couldn’t overcome their defensive lapses. The Nuggets (27-13) connected on 16 three-pointers and shot 55.7% overall, with Jamal Murray adding 24 points and Michael Porter Jr. contributing 22 in what felt like a clinic.
“Their ball movement was exceptional tonight,” head coach Darvin Ham said. “We had breakdowns on rotations that led to wide-open looks. That’s on me to get fixed.”
The question is whether Ham can actually fix it with this roster.
Playoff Position Slipping Away
The loss drops the Lakers (22-17) to ninth in the Western Conference standings, 2.5 games behind sixth-seeded Phoenix for automatic playoff positioning. With the trade deadline looming February 8, the pressure on general manager Rob Pelinka to make roster improvements grows heavier by the game.
Denver, meanwhile, strengthened its hold on the Northwest Division lead and moved within 1.5 games of conference-leading Minnesota. The Nuggets have won seven of their last 10 and look like a team that remembers exactly how to win when it matters.
Jokic’s dominant night marked his 15th game this season with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds. The two-time MVP is averaging 25.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 9.1 assists while shooting 58.7% from the field — numbers that scream championship contender.
Portland Can’t Come Soon Enough
The Lakers host the struggling Portland Trail Blazers (12-28) on Friday night, desperately needing to snap this skid before it spirals further out of control. L.A. has dropped six of its last eight home games and can feel the play-in tournament breathing down its neck.
For Denver, this victory capped a successful three-game California road trip. The Nuggets return home to face Orlando on Thursday before a brutal stretch against Boston and Philadelphia that will test their championship mettle.
After watching Jokic operate like a maestro on Tuesday night, it’s hard to bet against them.
