Lakers player grades: L.A. makes spirited comeback to defeat Nuggets

Jan 21, 2026 - 12:00

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Lakers player grades: L.A. makes spirited comeback to defeat Nuggets

The Los Angeles Lakers started an eight-game road trip on Tuesday with a matchup against the Denver Nuggets, a team they had lost 14 of their last 17 games to, including two playoff series in 2023 and 2024. They came in having lost five of their last seven games and 12 of their previous 20, and they badly needed a win to start this trip the right way.

Early on, this game went the way too many of their recent games turned out. Denver came out red-hot from long range, allowing it to take a 35-22 lead with 2:20 left in the first quarter. The Lakers trimmed that deficit somewhat in the second quarter, but an 8-0 run by Denver gave it a 71-57 advantage at halftime. Jamal Murray, who has a history of going off against L.A., scored 26 points in the first half.

However, the second half was as different from the first half as night is from day. Los Angeles scored 13 unanswered points early in the third quarter to come within three points, and a 16-0 run in the fourth quarter gave it a 12-point lead. It managed to practically shut down Murray in the second half by sending a second defender at him on a consistent basis, which limited him to two points on 1-of-6 field-goal shooting after halftime.

In their 115-107 victory, the Lakers clearly had the edge in many categories. They held Denver to 36 points and 34.9% shooting in the second half, and overall, they claimed a 51-31 edge in rebounding and a 25-7 advantage in fast-break points while attempting 13 more free throws. With a 26-16 record, they moved into fifth place in the Western Conference and trail the Nuggets, who are in third place, by two games.

Jake LaRavia: C

This was a quiet night for LaRavia. He made three of his five field-goal attempts to score seven points, and he also had one rebound, two assists and three turnovers in 27 minutes.

Deandre Ayton: Incomplete

Ayton scored just four points in the first half, but he grabbed eight rebounds during that time. He didn't play in the second half after getting hit in the face during the second quarter, but he did enough to prevent the Lakers from falling completely out of this contest.

Marcus Smart: B/B-plus

Smart scored 15 points on 4-of-9 overall shooting, 3-of-6 from 3-point range and 4-of-5 from the free throw line, and he was a key reason L.A. shut down Murray in the second half. Twelve of his points came in the fourth quarter when his team truly took control of the game, and he also logged two rebounds and one assist.

LeBron James: B/B-minus

James had a very modest 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting, to go along with nine rebounds and eight assists while committing six turnovers. But nine of his points came in the third quarter and helped get the Lakers back in this game. Uncharacteristically, James missed four of his six free throw attempts.

Luka Doncic: A

Doncic made each of his first six shot attempts and scored 16 points in the first quarter. He then had nine points and four assists in the third period when the Lakers made their first move, and he ended up with 38 points on 12-of-21 shooting, plus 13 rebounds, 10 assists and two steals. Those numbers gave him his fifth triple-double of this season and the 87th of his career.

Rui Hachimura: C

Hachimura shot just 4-of-13 from the field and scored nine points in 28 minutes off the bench. But he grabbed six rebounds, three of them coming on the offensive glass, to help Los Angeles take control of this game. He also chipped in one assist and one steal.

Jarred Vanderbilt: B-minus

Vanderbilt went scoreless and missed both of his shot attempts in 18 minutes, but he obtained four rebounds and played some energetic defense to help the Lakers' cause.

Drew Timme: A

Timme scored three quick baskets early in the second quarter to help the Lakers start to make things competitive. In 11 minutes, he ended up with nine points on 4-of-6 from the field and three rebounds.

It is starting to look like perhaps he has earned himself some regular spot duty, at least for now, as this was the third straight game in which he got meaningful playing time.

Jaxson Hayes: B-plus/A-minus

Hayes got 23 minutes, which was more than usual, due to Ayton not being able to play in the second half. He made four of his five shot attempts to score nine points while also contributing five rebounds and two blocks, and his defensive presence made an impact during the second half.