Luka Dončić hit the shot, but the moment carried a little extra weight because of who was on the other side. With 0.5 seconds left in overtime Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena, Dončić rose into a 17-foot fadeaway over a closing defender and lifted the Los Angeles Lakers to a 127-125 win over the Denver Nuggets.
The basket capped a 30-point, 13-assist, 11-rebound performance and placed him alongside Nikola Jokić on an unusual piece of NBA history.
Luka Dončić Ties Nikola Jokić for Second-Most 30-Point Triple-Doubles
It was Dončić’s 55th career 30-point triple-double, tying Jokić for second all-time behind only Oscar Robertson, whose 106 remains the standard.
The stat line was fitting given the opponent. Dončić and Jokić, two of the league’s most dominant European stars, are also close friends, known to share dinners when their teams meet and joke with each other during All-Star festivities.
Their on-court battles often carry a playful edge. “I love playing against Luka,” Jokić once said. “Not just because he’s a talented player, but because I can beat him and make fun of him a little bit.”
On Saturday, however, the final moment belonged to Dončić. Jokić nearly matched him possession for possession, finishing with 24 points, 16 rebounds, and 14 assists. But the last play went the other way.
Luka Doncic’s game-winner with 0.5 remaining in OT gave him 30 points for the game.
It’s his 55th career 30-point triple-double, tying him with none other than Nikola Jokic for the second-most in NBA history 🔥 pic.twitter.com/w1zBNIJsFJ
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) March 15, 2026
Denver sent a late double team as the clock wound down. Dončić read it quickly, stepped left, and created enough space for a fading jumper. “I just saw the double coming, so I went to my left hand, to my left step back,” Dončić said. “I did that a couple of times throughout my career, so just trust the shot.”
LeBron James, who added 17 points and dove for a loose ball late in regulation, had a simple explanation. “Just a big-time shot by a generational player,” James said. “We wanted the last shot. We wanted the ball in our guy’s hands.”
Jokić has repeatedly acknowledged Dončić’s impact on the game, once describing him as a rare offensive force. “Luka is a generational player, a generational talent,” Jokić said in 2025 after Dončić was traded to the Lakers. “He affects the game on so many levels, so many possessions.”
The win pushed the Los Angeles Lakers to 42-25 and secured the season series over the Nuggets, a useful tiebreaker in a Western Conference where several playoff seeds remain separated by only a few games.
Individually, Dončić continues to build an MVP résumé. He leads the league in scoring at 32.9 points per game while ranking among the top playmakers and rebounders at his position. Still, the race remains crowded, with Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama all drawing strong support.
Saturday’s game added another layer to the Dončić-Jokić rivalry: a milestone reached in direct competition. After 43 minutes on the floor, Dončić’s own summary was, however, brief and blunt. “Feel great, tired as s–t,” he said. “Gotta get some rest. Great win though.”
