Former NBA player Charles Barkley was back at it with the Los Angeles Lakers. And the Chuckster did so once again on Friday night. After an uneven start to 2026, the Lakers are on a good run at the moment and registered an impressive 127-125 overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets at the Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night.
The win extended the Lakers' winning streak to five games and clinched their head-to-head series, 2-1, in their third and final regular-season meeting against the Nuggets.
Their good run of form has seen their record improve to 42-25 as they climb up to third place in the Western Conference standings. Meanwhile, the Nuggets dropped to sixth place in the standings with a 41-27 record.
Prior to their win over the Chicago Bulls,LeBron James had missed three consecutive games due to an elbow injury. However, led by Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Lakers came out on top in all three games. Many believed that James' return would disrupt the team's chemistry due to his lack of defense at 41. But since James' return, the purple and gold have won both their matches.
Charles Barkley and Inside the NBA show were back on Saturday night. A few weeks ago, the former MVP accused the Lakers of tanking after their last-second loss to a depleted Phoenix Suns.
Barkley was seen taking shots at the Lakers once again. Before tip-off, the cameras showed a young Lakers fan wearing a LeBron James jersey. Barkley did not waste any time and said:
The Lakers are going to lose this game tonight, Guarantee! This little pretty girl wearing a LeBron jersey is going to be crying in 2 hours.
Just like the last time, Barkley's words backfired after the Lakers' closely fought victory. With a spot in the play-in tournament at least, the Lakers are well on course for a direct playoffs qualification.
Since acquiring Luka Doncic at the trade deadline last year, the Lakers front office have built their roster around the Slovenian as they see him as the future face of the franchise. Doncic leads the league in scoring and is currently averaging 32.8 points, eight rebounds, and 8.5 assists this season.
On Saturday night, Doncic was the star of the show once again. The Lakers guard recorded another triple-double as he ended his night with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists. Doncic was active on defense as well, with one steal and three blocks. Austin Reaves scored a game-high 32 points, while James posted 17 points.
With the scores tied and six seconds remaining in overtime, Luka Magic sealed the deal for the Lakers. Doncic sunk a difficult game-winning fadeaway from the corner, beating the clock and securing a fifth consecutive win.
In their last game against the Bulls, Doncic posted his first 50-point game in a Lakers jersey. He is averaging 38.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 8.4 assists in their last five games.
Following Doncic's game-winner, LeBron James heaped praise on the 27-year-old and called him a 'generational player' in his post-match media scrum.
Just a big-time shot by a f—ing generational player. … We wanted the last shot. We wanted to put the ball in our guy's hands. So, it's going to be just the first of many game winners like that for him and in a Lakers uniform.
The Lakers are off on a long six-game road trip after their win over the Nuggets. They head off to Houston to take on the Houston Rockets in back-to-back games on March 16 and March 18.
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