By Christopher Dempsey, Nuggets Insider
Gary Harris made sure the Nuggets put another game in the win column as he led a 3-point barrage that lifted them over the L.A. Lakers 113-107 on Monday night at the Staples Center.
Harris was as efficient as it gets, scoring 25 points in 20 minutes. He made 8-of-11 shots overall, including 5-of-7 from the 3-point line. Offensively, it was a reminder that the breakout season he had in 2016-17 is not likely to be a flash-in-the-pan. Defensively, Harris also played energy-filled basketball, pressing up on ballhandlers, sticking tight to players running off screens and getting good hands up to contest jump shots.
It was a complete performance that helped the Nuggets overcome an early 11-point deficit to get the victory. After trailing by five at the end of the first quarter, the Nuggets tightened up defensively, which helped spark a 20-7 run in the second quarter that put them ahead to stay. They led by as many as 20 points. The Lakers made a late run, but the Nuggets held them off to go to 2-0 in the preseason.
The Nuggets hit 15 3-pointers and connected on 51.7 percent of them. Nikola Jokic had 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting, and Paul Millsap and Juancho Hernangomez each had 11 points. Hernangomez nailed 3-of-4 shots from the 3-point line.
The Nuggets also had 10 steals – Wilson Chandler collected five of them – as part of 22 Lakers turnovers forced. They turned L.A.’s turnovers into 25 points.
The Nuggets and Lakers square off again on Wednesday, in an 8 p.m. MT game on Altitude Sports.
Christopher Dempsey: christopher.dempsey@altitude.tv and @chrisadempsey on Twitter