The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 126-108 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Friday, to avoid suffering the second straight loss.

Anthony Davis, who had averaged 40.2 points in five games in December for the Lakers before Friday, was supposed to the team's best weapon against two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic, especially with Davis' athleticism and finishing ability. However, after each scored 10 points in the first quarter, the two big men suddenly quieted down on the court.

Such a change was in the Nuggets' favor because Jokic had a lot to contribute besides for scoring on the offensive end, including orchestrating. Davis, by contrast, must attack to maintain his influence on the floor, especially when he seemed in a poor form on defense. He didn’t come back in the second half because of a right foot injury.

The Lakers had to make Thomas Bryant the starting center in the third quarter, but that became an ingenious move to reverse the situation in the second half. Bryant was no match for a healthy Davis in nearly everything, but he invested enough effort and energy to get four offensive rebounds and two steals for the team and shoot efficiently 9-for-11 from the field to score 21 points.

While Bryant kept causing trouble for the Nuggets' defense from inside with constant cut-ins, LeBron James, Patrick Beverley, Dennis Schroder, Austin Reeves and even rookie Max Christie continued to make shots from the outside. Going 12-for-33 at the 3-point line was not impressive for other teams, but good enough for the purple and gold to force the Nuggets to close out more than they were willing to on defensive possessions.

James and Russell Westbrook exploited the Nuggets' vacuum in the paint and kept charging the rim over and over. James shot 10-for-12 in the restricted area to get 20 points there; Westbrook dropped a triple-double of 15 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. Many of his passes went to Bryant for direct buckets next to the hoop.

By contrast, the Nuggets failed to find their touch behind the arc, where they went 9-for-27. Jokic tried to increase more individual attacks in the second half, but the Lakers' paint was too crowded for him to work. He only made four field goals (FGs) to get 13 points in thew second half. He delivered three assists but with four turnovers.

Jamal Murray failed to stand out for the Nuggets as well. The Lakers' perimeter defenders managed to deflect most of his jumpers. Having made only for of 12 attempts in this category, Murray couldn't stretch out the spacing for Jokic. Nor could he change the opponents' defense by scoring only 23 points.

After Friday's victory, the Lakers are 1.5 games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves, which are 10th in the Western Conference, the entrance for the play-in tournament. The Nuggets remain third in the West, but are only half a game above the Phoenix Suns.

Other games on Friday (away teams come first):

Sacramento Kings 122-113 Detroit Pistons

The Kings bounced back from the two-game losing streak with two consecutive wins. Led by De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and rookie Keegan Murray, the team had seven players score double-digit points at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, on Friday. In the third quarter when the team built the decisive lead, Fox, Sabonis and Murray combined to get 24 points, six rebounds and eight assists to drive a 38-23 run.

The Pistons suffered their third loss out of the past four games and the 23rd loss in total this season. As Cade Cunningham underwent the season-ending surgery to fix a stress fracture in his left tibia, the team is likely to decided what to work for this season: an unlikely postseason spot or a good draft pick, possibly for Victor Wembanyama?

Orlando Magic 117-109 Boston Celtics

The Magic extended their winning streak to five games after defeating the Celtics at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, on Friday night and began their four-game road trip with a victory. Rookie Pauolo Banchero drained three triples and went 7-for-8 at the free throw line to get 20 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Magic. His teammates Moritz Wagner, Makelle Fultz and Mo Bamba enabled the franchise with their efforts to lead in offensive rebounds 15-10.

This was the Celtics' third loss out of the past four games. Al Horford returned after missing five competitions, but he was ejected in the third quarter for elbowing Wagner in the groin. The whole team shot as many as 46 3-pointers, but only made 11 of them. Their offense cooled down quickly after the ridiculous efficiency in the first month of the season. Though the Celtics are still leading the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks are only one game behind them.

Brooklyn Nets 119-116 Toronto Raptors

Despite all the controversy Kyrie Irving is involved with, no one questions his ability to make clutch shots. However, in his 12-season NBA career, Irving hasn't made one game-winning buzzer beater until Friday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto Canada.

The score was 116-116 when there were eight seconds left in the fourth quarter. Irving received the ball in the front field and faced Fred VanVleet. VanVleet fouled Irving the moment he tried to drive, leaving the Nets only 3.7 seconds and no timeout for the final attack.

Irving received the ball again and he still faced VanVleet. He went 6-for-8 to get 12 points before this play and the two missed attempts were both from downtown. That's why when Irving accelerated, VanVleet stepped back quickly and tried to avoid contact. Irving exploited his move, stopped, and then stepped out of the 3-point line to shoot before the time ran out. The ball fell through the basket and sealed the fifth win in a row for the Nets.

Atlanta Hawks 125-106 Charlotte Hornets

Indiana Pacers 112-118 Cleveland Cavaliers

Golden State Warriors 106-118 Philadelphia 76ers

New York Knicks 114-91 Chicago Bulls

Minnesota Timberwolves 112-110 Oklahoma City Thunder

Portland Trail Blazers 110-130 Dallas Mavericks