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Nikola Jokić Only Needed One Hand to Score Over Three Lakers’ Defenders

The Nuggets star dominated the Lakers on Saturday night.

Stephen Douglas

Nikola Jokic scores against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Nikola Jokic scores against the Los Angeles Lakers. / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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The Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 127-102 on Saturday night to hand JJ Redick's team their second-straight darkness-inducing loss in a row. Nikola Jokić was sublime scoring 34 points on 12-of-20 shooting to go along with 13 rebounds and eight assists.

If it sounds like things were easy for Jokic, and they looked pretty easy at times as well. Midway through the second quarter, Jokic found himself being guarded down low by Gabe Vincent. Jamal Murray wasted no time throwing it in to the three-time MVP as two other Lakers defenders—6'8" Rui Hachimura and 6'10" Anthony Davis—converged on him at the basket.

Jokic didn't hesitate. He simply tapped the ball off the backboard and into the hoop as if he was the only one on the court.

With the win, the Nuggets are now just a half-game behind the Lakers for the fourth seed in the Western Conference with a little less than five months remaining in the regular season.

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Stephen Douglas
STEPHEN DOUGLAS

Stephen Douglas is a Senior Writer on the Breaking & Trending News Team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in journalism and media since 2008, and now casts a wide net with coverage across all sports. Stephen spent more than a decade with The Big Lead and has previously written for Uproxx and The Sporting News. He has three children, two degrees and one now unverified Twitter account.

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