Lakers vs. Nuggets: LeBron Records Triple-Double, Praises Stephenson After 121-114 Win

The Los Angeles Lakers recorded their second consecutive win of the season Thursday night with a 121-114 win over the Denver Nuggets, who came into the game as one of only two undefeated teams in the Western Conference.

The Lakers won their first game against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night, but this was their first home win and they were led by LeBron James, who recorded his first triple-double as a Laker with 28 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds.

Luke Walton’s side had lost their first three games of the season, but back-to-back wins have propelled them further up the table. It was a close game against the Nuggets, who are leading the Western Conference after a strong start to the season and the Lakers had to come from behind after trailing by as much as eight points with just over six minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

It was Lance Stephenson, who had just four points in the first three quarters, that changed the game when he came off the bench to sink two three-pointers to reduce the deficit from eight to two in a matter of seconds. The Lakers outscored the Nuggets 23-8 in the final six minutes in a game that saw close to 20 changes of the lead.

James was quick to praise his teammate Stephenson, who he revealed is called "Make ‘em dance Lance’." The three-time NBA champion believes the small forward's impact from the bench in the fourth quarter sparked their comeback after it looked like the Nuggets had stolen the momentum.

“‘Make ‘em dance Lance’ sparked our come back. He was amazing again tonight after putting in a phenomenal performance against Phoenix last night,” James said during his on-court interview after the win over the Nuggets on Thursday night.

Another player that impressed on the night was JaVale McGee, who recorded 21 points and seven rebounds. The center played 32 minutes against the Nuggets and, according to ESPN, it was his first 30-minute game since February 2013.

The Lakers certainly do not look like a team that will challenge the best in the Western Conference – they have much to work on in terms of their defense as they were again troubled by big man Nikola Jokic. The Serbian recorded 24 points and 11 rebounds and was a constant thorn in the Lakers’ side during the game.

James and co will have a day’s break before they resume their campaign on Saturday night when they take on the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Arena. Walton will want his team to continue their winning run and avenge their overtime loss to the same opponents earlier in the week.

The Lakers had the game in the bag with minutes remaining in overtime, but James’ costly free throw misses and a late charge by the Spurs saw them lose the game 142-143 at the Staples Center.