The Los Angeles Lakers overcame the Denver Nuggets in overtime after clutch plays from Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić. Despite the win, Shaquille O’Neal is not impressed and believes it reflects poorly on their chances of winning an NBA title.
Shaquille O’Neal Doubts the Lakers’ Contender Status
The Lakers are currently the No. 3 team in the Western Conference and have won eight of their last 10 games. However, their most recent victory has led O’Neal to question whether they are legitimate title contenders.
In their last game, the Lakers trailed the Nuggets by two with 5.2 seconds left. They needed a 3-pointer to win or a shot inside the arc to force overtime. Reaves was sent to the free-throw line.
What followed was a display of late-game execution, as Reaves intentionally missed the free throw, grabbed the offensive rebound, and scored on a floater. That sequence set up another decisive play in overtime, when Dončić hit a step-back jumper to take the lead with 0.5 seconds left. On the next possession, the Slovenian made the game-saving defensive stop.
While this was an impressive win, O’Neal was not completely impressed. While speaking with his co-hosts on “Inside the NBA,” he said their play at the end of regulation was not something contenders did.
“If you have to rely on that, you’re not going to win and you’re not gonna be a contender,” O’Neal said. “I’m used to playing for coaches who wouldn’t be happy with that game.
“Yeah, we won the game. But, when you’re up 15 early in the game, [Charles Barkley] and Kenny [Smith] knows this, that’s when you got to put teams away. You’re up 15 at home, you have to beat them by 15 at home.”
Shaq on the Lakers needing Austin Reaves to intentionally miss FTs to force the game into overtime:
“If you have to rely on that you’re not going to win and not being a contender. I’m used to playing for coaches who wouldn’t be happy with that game… You up 15 at home you have… pic.twitter.com/XGGzxHJbbO
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 15, 2026
O’Neal’s criticism was not directed at the Lakers’ clutch performance but at the fact that they allowed the game to reach that point.
After allowing the Nuggets to take an early lead, the Lakers built a 17-point advantage midway through the second quarter. They held that lead until late in the third quarter, when momentum shifted.
For most of the fourth quarter, the Nuggets maintained a narrow edge but could not stop the Lakers’ stars from executing in the clutch.
The Lakers’ two late-game heroes were also their leading scorers. Reaves finished with a team-high 32 points, followed by Dončić with 30.
