LUKA DONČIĆ scored 21 of his 31 points in the first quarter, Austin Reaves added 22 total and the Los Angeles Lakers turned a fast start into a 120-108 home victory over the short-handed Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.
Dorian Finney-Smith scored 14 points and Gabe Vincent and Dalton Knecht each added 12 as the Lakers earned their third straight win and ninth consecutive home victory despite playing without LeBron James (groin) for the sixth straight game and Rui Hachimura (knee) for the 11th straight.
The victory allowed the Lakers (43-25) to tie the Nuggets (44-26) for third place in the Western Conference standings. — Reuters
