Luka Doncic's big shot, Austin Reaves' big miss lift Lakers over Nuggets

When Jokic blocked Reaves on the other end., Gordon could have put the game out of reach, but he split his two free throws. The teams traded intentional fouls and free throws before Denver sent Reaves to the line with 5.2 seconds left, trailing by three. He made one freebie, then delivered a textbook intentional miss, sending himself the rebound and tying the game.

Nikola Jokic hit big shots, but Luka Doncic hit the last shot

The Lakers pulled overtime out of the jaws of defeat, and the extra period was no less of a battle than the end of the fourth quarter. The Nuggets didn't make a field goal until Aaron Gordon's three put them ahead with 47 seconds to go. Doncic showed off his own passing, finding Marcus Smart for a go-ahead three with a behind-the-back pass.

After Jokic tied it, Doncic made sure there'd be no double overtime. He evaded a Nuggets double-team and sank the game-winner with less than a second to play.

It was a huge victory for the Lakers, beyond the relevance to the standings. Jokic and the Nuggets have stood in the Lakers' way for years, but since the Lakers traded for Luka Doncic, L.A. is 4-2 against Denver.

It's generally been the Nuggets hitting big shots to break the Lakers' hearts, with Murray often doing the damage. Now the Lakers have the personnel to make — and miss — shots when it matters.