DENVER (AP) — Luka Doncic sat out the Los Angeles Lakers' 131-126 loss at Denver on Friday night, cheering on his scrappy, short-handed teammates who nearly pulled off a shocker without four starters.
Doncic joined LeBron James on the Lakers' lengthy list of unavailable players after scoring 45 points a night earlier in a loss at Milwaukee. The Lakers ruled the star guard out on the second night of back-to-back games because of left calf injury management and a right ankle sprain.
“Yeah, just the nature of a bunch of guys dealing with injuries and the schedule. There is not much we can do about that," coach JJ Redick said before tipoff. "But we are going to try to win a basketball game.”
They nearly did just that, storming back from a double-digit deficit in the third quarter to surge ahead 126-123 with under a minute remaining behind 37 points from Austin Reaves and 32 from Dalton Knecht.
“I'm proud of the group for their level of fight and resiliency, particularly not getting off to a great start there in the second half,” Redick said after the Lakers lost their fourth straight.
Nikola Jokic's three-point play tied it, Jamal Murray's 3-pointer with 5.6 seconds left gave Denver the lead and Russell Westbrook stole the inbounds pass for a game-sealing dunk.
James missed his third consecutive game with a left groin strain and returned to Los Angeles along with Rui Hachimura (left patellar tendinopathy) and Jaxson Hayes (bruised right knee) ahead of the Lakers’ game in Denver. Also, Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent sat out to rest left ankle injuries.
James’ son, Bronny, scored five points and logged 16 minutes after being recalled from the G League.
Redick said LeBron James, Hachimura and Hayes would be day to day once the rest of the team returns to California to begin a five-game homestand Sunday against the Phoenix Suns.
Despite a brutal stretch of games themselves, the Nuggets knew they shouldn't have had to sweat out a game against so many backups.
“This isn't a beauty pageant,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “We don't get rated on our wins. (But a) good win. We're down three with 52 seconds to go. We close out 8-0, some really good late-game execution, shot-making, got some timely shots. But give them credit. They played their hearts out. They made this a game.”
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic heads back to the bench in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Friday, March 14, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, greets Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, right, in the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 14, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic tries to get past Milwaukee Bucks' Kyle Kuzma during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 13, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Champions League qualification is getting tantalizingly close for Nottingham Forest.
For Manchester City, there's still plenty of work to do.
Forest, a team many might have thought would be battling relegation this season in the Premier League, moved just a point behind second-place Arsenal by beating Ipswich 4-2 on Saturday.
More importantly perhaps for Forest, the gap to City grew to six points after the soon-to-be-deposed champions drew 2-2 at home to Brighton.
City is hanging onto fifth place, which is likely to be the final Champions League qualification position from the Premier League for next season.
City twice took the lead in the first half at Etihad Stadium, through Erling Haaland's penalty and Omar Marmoush's fierce outside-of-the-area shot, but was pegged back each time by an opponent also in contention to get into the Champions League.
An own-goal by Abdukodir Khusanov in the 48th ultimately clinched a point for Brighton, which is only a point behind City. That meant City already has conceded 40 league goals this season, its most in a single campaign under Pep Guardiola.
Anthony Elanga scored twice for Forest, whose other goals came from Nikola Milenkovic and Jota Silva.
Ipswich, in third-to-last place, dropped nine points adrift of safety after Wolverhampton — the team directly above the relegation zone — won 2-1 at last-place Southampton.
Everton scored in stoppage time to salvage a 1-1 draw at home to West Ham.
Bournemouth, another unheralded team in contention for Champions League qualification, hosts Brentford in the late game.
Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
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Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford reacts to a defensive clearance during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and West Ham, at Goodison Park, Liverpool, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)
Wolverhampton Wanderers' Jorgen Strand Larsen, left, celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers at St. Mary's Stadium, Southampton, England, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP)
Manchester City's Erling Haaland scores his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion at Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
Manchester City's Omar Marmoush, left, attempts a shot at goal in front of Brighton's Adam Webster to scores his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion at Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion at Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
Nottingham Forest's Nikola Milenkovic scores their side's first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest at Portman Road, Ipswich, England, Saturday March 15, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion at Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
Manchester City's Erling Haaland, right, celebrates with his teammate Omar Marmoush after scoring his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion at Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
