Kyle Kuzma hit a three-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 124-121 on Monday to snap a three-game losing streak.
LeBron James threw an inbounds pass to Anthony Davis, who flipped it to Kuzma on the right wing for the game-winner as the clock ran down.
The Lakers, outplayed down the stretch by Denver’s bench, got 29 points and 12 assists from James, who hit two three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Anthony Davis had 27 points and Kuzma 25.
Photo: Ashley Landis-USA TODAY
P.J. Dozier had a chance to put the Nuggets up by one with 4.4 seconds left, but missed the second of two free throws. Kuzma rebounded and the Lakers called timeout to set up the winning play.
“I got an open look. It’s a play we ran in practice a few times prior to the restart,” Kuzma said. “Coach had faith in me, called my number and it paid off. It just shows that my teammates and my coaches, they trust in me, the trust they have in me, every time we ran that play in practice I’ve kind of hit that shot. Obviously the play nine out of 10 times is going to LeBron, but they called my number. It’s all about trust.”
Dozier had been fouled by Kuzma while driving the lane after a miss by James.
Photo: EPA-EFE
James had given the Lakers a 121-119 lead by converting a three-point play with 45.7 seconds to go. Monte Morris made one of two free throws for the Nuggets.
The Lakers had clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference before their losing streak started. They are 3-4 in the bubble with one game to go.
“I think the biggest thing is for us to build habits, winning championship habits, especially since we locked up first place,” Kuzma said. “There’s a little bit of time you can chill and relax. We don’t really have that margin for error. Like most teams, we have new parts and are trying to fit new guys in and I think the biggest thing, is try to build camaraderie with the new group.”
SUNS 128, THUNDER 101
Devin Booker produced another 30-point scoring display as the Phoenix Suns notched six wins in a row since the NBA’s restart after a COVID-19 delay with a blowout victory over the Oklahoma City.
Booker scored 35 points with five rebounds and four assists in a win that maintained Phoenix’s improbable charge toward a place in the Western Conference play-in.
It was the fourth time in six games that Booker has scored more than 30 points in Orlando, where the Suns are a perfect 6-0 since the season resumed inside the NBA’s bubble last month.
Booker’s latest masterclass included an audacious three-pointer from near halfway late in the third period that extended the Suns’ lead to 13 points and underscored his status as the NBA’s form player.
HEAT 114, PACERS 92
Jimmy Butler, returning from a three-game injury absence, had game highs with 19 points, 11 rebounds and four steals to lead the Miami Heat to a 114-92 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night near Orlando.
Butler, who also had five assists in 29 minutes, had been out with a sore right foot. His return helped the Heat (44-27) take sole possession of fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
RAPTORS 114, BUCKS 106
At the top of the East, NBA champions the Toronto Raptors took advantage of the absence of the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo to record a win in a potential preview of the conference finals.
Chris Boucher had 25 points off the bench for Toronto, while Matt Thomas had 22 points. Kyle Korver led Milwaukee’s scoring with 19 from the bench.
With his team already assured of second seeding in the East, Raptors coach Nick Nurse said he is using the remaining games before the players to assess depth off the bench.
“I think it’s still a matter of ironing out some rhythm and playing hard on defense and rhythm on offense,” Nurse said. “It’s a chance here to see a few more faces that need to be out there. There hasn’t been a lot of minutes, for whatever reason, for some of the guys coming off the bench, and we need to get them up to speed a little bit.”
MAVERICKS 122, JAZZ 114
The Dallas Mavericks overpowered the Utah Jazz, with Tim Hardaway Jr scoring 27 points and Seth Curry adding 22. Boban Marjanovic scored 20 for the Mavs, who were without the resting Luka Doncic.
Additional reporting by AFP and Reuters
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