Basketball: James Praises Doncic After Overtime Lakers Winner

LeBron James praised the “generational” talent of team-mate Luka Doncic after the Slovenian hit an overtime winner as the Los Angeles Lakers came from behind to beat the Denver Nuggets 127-125.

Doncic, 27, finished with 30 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds for his eighth triple-double of the season as the Lakers secured their fifth consecutive victory.

The six-time NBA all-star hit a step-back jump shot with 0.5 seconds remaining on the clock to hand his side the victory.

“Just a big-time shot by a generational player,” James said of his team-mate.

“He’s just a big-time player, man. It’s going to be just the first of many game winners like that for him in a Lakers uniform.”

Austin Reaves hit a team-high 32 points, Marcus Smart added 21 points and five steals, while James, 41, contributed 17 points in 40 minutes as the Lakers moved up to third in the Western Conference.

James dived full length on the floor to prevent Denver getting an offensive rebound with 54.3 seconds remaining – a play Lakers coach JJ Redick said he had never previously seen in James’ 23-year professional career.

“I think all of us have heard it from our coaches when we were little: the first man to the floor usually gets the ball,” said James.

“So, that’s just my little league coach kind of in my head at that moment, understanding the significance of it.”

Lakers coach Redick was pleased with his side’s collective performance.

“We still have got a long way to go, but we are certainly optimistic with how we handled this stretch of games,” Redick said.