Most people expected the Los Angeles Lakers to suffer yet another loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, and some expected the game to be lopsided in Denver’s favor. After all, the Lakers came into Saturday having lost 13 of their previous 14 contests to Denver.

But instead of continuing their ineptitude versus Nikola Jokić and crew, the Lakers finally whacked the team that eliminated them from the playoffs in both of the previous two seasons.

They went on a spurt late in the first quarter to take a 38-31 lead at the end of the period, and they never looked back. While Denver turned a comfortable 63-54 Lakers lead at halftime into a tenuous 63-62 edge with 10:59 left in the third quarter, the Purple and Gold answered with a 14-3 run, and they controlled the rest of the game en route to a stunning 123-100 win at Ball Arena.

Los Angeles got the job done on the defensive end. It held the Nuggets to 40% shooting and forced 22 turnovers, and it successfully harassed Jokic. The three-time MVP shot an embarrassing 2-of-7 from the field and committed six turnovers, and the team focused its defense on him. The Lakers fronted him at times, and when he got the ball, they made him play against multiple defenders who came at him from multiple angles.

That outstanding defense allowed the Lakers to outscore Denver, the NBA’s leader in fast-break points per game coming into Saturday, 33-9 on the break. For the first time this season, they had four players score at least 20 points, and overall, they shot 50% from the field and 39% from 3-point range while committing just nine turnovers.

They now hold a 34-21 record and are half a game behind the Houston Rockets, who are in fourth place in the Western Conference.

Rui Hachimura: B-plus/A-minus

Since coming to the Lakers two years ago, Hachimura has been invisible for extended stretches on offense. But lately, he has been more involved on a consistent basis, and over the last few weeks, he has been playing his best basketball as a member of the Lakers.

On Saturday, he scored 21 points on 7-of-12 field-goal shooting and 4-of-9 from 3-point range, including a dozen points in the third quarter. Five of his points came during that third-period run that essentially decided the outcome of the game. He didn’t grab a single rebound, but he did have four assists, and his help in guarding Jokic was a key to the Lakers’ success on that end of the floor.

Jaxson Hayes: C-plus

Hayes didn’t play a big role in this game, but he did score four points on 2-of-3 shooting and added four rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block in 25 minutes.

Austin Reaves: A

Reaves once again put his foot down and refused to let a game slip away from the Lakers. He scored 23 points while going 7-of-13 from the field, 4-of-7 from downtown and 5-of-6 from the free throw line while also adding seven assists. Ten of his points came during that key third quarter when the Lakers made a permanent imprint on the game.

Luka Doncic: A

Doncic looked a bit out of sorts in his first three games with the Lakers. But on Saturday, he looked like his usual self. He burned the Nuggets with 32 points, and the 3-point shot was falling for him, as he made four of his nine attempts from that distance. He had a team-high 10 rebounds and was tied with Reaves for the team lead with seven dimes.

The Slovenian, who has often been criticized for his lack of prowess on the defensive end, did play some defense on Saturday. He came up with four steals and even blocked one shot. In addition, he committed only one turnover.

LeBron James: A

Coming off an age-defying 40-point performance on Thursday versus the Portland Trail Blazers, James had his usual excellent performance versus Denver. He put up 25 efficient points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished off five assists in 33 minutes.

Perhaps having Doncic by his side has freed him up to play a little more defense than he has played in recent years. He blocked three shots on Saturday and came up with one steal. James has done a good job of maintaining his energy and avoiding noticeable fatigue lately, and that could translate into him playing, at the very least, adequate defense, which he hasn’t done in quite some time.

Dorian Finney-Smith: C

Finney-Smith shot just 1-of-5 from the field and made only one of his four 3-point attempts. But he helped out on the defensive end, where he had two steals, and he added four rebounds in 27 minutes.

Jarred Vanderbilt: D

Vanderbilt played just six minutes due to foul trouble. He ended up committing five fouls, and he finished his stint in this game with one point, one rebound, two assists and two steals.

But he did have a positive moment in the first quarter when he drew a flagrant foul on Nuggets guard Julian Strawther. He remains a player who can get under the skin of opponents due to his energy, intensity and physicality.

Gabe Vincent: C

In 19 minutes, Vincent shot 1-of-4 from the field and had three points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Jordan Goodwin: B

Goodwin played 11 minutes and brought some energy and intensity to the Lakers. Late in the first quarter, he hustled to force a turnover on a pass that was intended for Christian Braun, which led to a fast-break layup by Doncic. In the fourth quarter, he scored on a runner off the glass in the fourth quarter, and moments later, he knocked down a 3-pointer off an assist from James.

He finished with five points, two steals, one rebound and one block.

Dalton Knecht: C

Knecht shot 1-of-3 from the field and missed both of his 3-point attempts. Early in the second quarter, he attempted to throw down a dunk on a fast break, and after he was fouled, he converted two free throws. In nine minutes, he scored four points and had one rebound and one steal, and he even blocked a short shot attempt by Jokic from behind.

Alex Len, Trey Jemison III, Shake Milton: Incomplete

All three played three minutes apiece at the end of the game. Len, who didn’t play on Thursday in Portland, had one rebound and went scoreless. Jemison had one rebound and one block, and he scored his only points on a semi-hook to beat the shot clock. Milton went scoreless and had one rebound.