Lakers win OT tiebreaker
The Lakers edged the Nuggets in an overtime thriller on Mar. 14 to secure a crucial tiebreaker over Denver — a result credited with boosting L.A.’s playoff positioning and momentum Ad Hoc News. Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Marcus Smart each made late contributions as L.A. rode a four‑game streak up the standings. Ad Hoc News
Lakers 127-125 OT — final at Crypto.com Arena on March 14, 2026 (attendance 18,997). espn.com Austin Reaves intentionally missed his second free throw, grabbed the offensive rebound and hit a baseline floater with 1.9 seconds left to force overtime, finishing the night with 32 points. cbssports.com Luka Dončić buried a 17-foot fall‑away jumper with 0.5 seconds remaining in OT for the winner and finished with 30 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds. cbssports.com Nikola Jokić posted 24 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists for a triple‑double, Aaron Gordon led Denver with 27 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. added 20, and Jamal Murray went 1‑for‑14 and fouled out early in overtime. cbssports.com The victory moved Los Angeles to 42‑25 and Denver to 41‑27, gave the Lakers the season‑series edge/tiebreaker over the Nuggets and tightened the race for a top‑three seed in the Western Conference. espn.com L.A. will travel to Houston on Monday while Denver hosts Philadelphia on Tuesday, and the win extended the Lakers’ current streak to five straight. cbssports.com
