Sports · NEWS EXPLAINER
Nuggets beat Lakers 121–106 in preseason finale: the first-quarter gap and what carries forward
Denver finished the preseason 3–2 after opening a 36–22 first-quarter lead and holding off Los Angeles. The final score is settled; lineup roles and regular-season conclusions are not.
Denver defeated Los Angeles 121–106 at Crypto.com Arena on October 16, closing the Nuggets’ preseason at 3–2 and the Lakers’ at 2–3. The game’s shape was established early: Denver led 36–22 after one quarter. Los Angeles cut the gap to seven at halftime and five after three quarters, but never erased it.
Denver created the cushion in the first quarter
The Nuggets scored 36 points in the opening quarter while holding the Lakers to 22. Los Angeles committed six early turnovers as Denver pressured Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves and crowded the first action.
The Lakers improved in the second quarter and went to halftime down 62–55. That recovery changed the margin, not the lead: Denver remained in front and eventually won by 15.
Murray led the Denver scoring
Sportsnet reports that Jamal Murray scored a game-high 21 points for Denver, with DeMar DeRozan contributing 14 from the bench. The official NBA recap confirms the 121–106 result and final preseason records.
Those totals explain individual production, but the quarter sequence explains the result more directly: Denver’s early advantage gave it room to answer every meaningful Lakers run.
Los Angeles tested a new starting combination
The Lakers opened with Dončić, Reaves, Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle and Walker Kessler. LakersNation describes it as the first game in which Dončić, Reaves and Kessler played together during the preseason.
The group’s first shift went poorly, and Denver opened 17–8 before extending the margin. That is useful evidence about one matchup and one configuration, not proof that the lineup cannot work.
The Lakers bench narrowed the game
Dončić scored 15 and Williams 14 before both sat after halftime. Austin Reaves finished with a team-high 19. Sandro Mamukelashvili added 15, Quentin Grimes 11 and Jaden Hardy 13 as Los Angeles pulled within 88–83 after three quarters.
LakersBeat reports 45 bench points and 27 points off Denver’s 14 turnovers. Those counterweights kept the game competitive, but Denver’s offense still finished at 121 and prevented a full comeback.
What is confirmed—and what still needs testing
The final score, quarter-end margins, player totals and preseason records are completed facts. Starting roles, rotation order, spacing solutions and defensive quality when games count remain open questions.
The Lakers next move into the regular season, where the same lineup and pressure-response issues can be tested under normal rotations. Denver’s win is real, but a preseason finale should not be converted into a season forecast.
