LOS ANGELES, United States: Luka Doncic delivered a dominant 32-point performance as the Los Angeles Lakers snapped the Denver Nuggets’ nine-game winning streak on Saturday with an impressive 123-100 victory on the road in Colorado.
Doncic, playing only his fourth game for the Lakers since his blockbuster trade from Dallas, was in scintillating form as the Lakers conjured a statement wire-to-wire win over their Western Conference rivals.
The Slovenian superstar was the standout performer on a night when the Lakers saw four players finish with 20 points or more for the first time this season.
Doncic finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists while LeBron James backed him with 25 points. Austin Reaves added 23 points and Rui Hachimura 21.
“I’m starting to feel a little bit more like myself — that’s why I was smiling the whole game,” Doncic told ESPN afterward.
“There’s still a lot of room for improvement and this is only my fourth game. Chemistry takes time. But you saw today that things are getting better.”
Doncic had signalled he was in the mood for a stellar performance early in the first quarter, arrowing a couple of superb passes to James and Jaxson Hayes to help the Lakers take an 8-3 lead.
A sublime three-pointer from Doncic put the Lakers into a 31-18 lead as the visitors remained firmly on top.
Doncic finished the first quarter with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists and was soon back into the groove in the second quarter.
A delicate lobbed assist to James for an alley-oop dunk made it 60-52 before Doncic unfurled a 24-foot three-pointer to put the Lakers 11 points up.
The Nuggets closed the deficit to 63-54 at the half, but the Lakers remained in control for much of the third quarter, taking a nine-point advantage into the final frame.
The Lakers continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over in the fourth, and Doncic put Los Angeles into a 20-point lead at 117-97 with just over four minutes remaining after another Denver turnover to effectively ice the game.
The Lakers improved to 34-21 with the win and remain fifth in the West. The Nuggets fell to 37-20 with the defeat.
In other NBA action on Saturday, the Phoenix Suns halted their four-game losing streak with a 121-117 road victory over the Chicago Bulls.
Devin Booker finished with 29 points while Kevin Durant added 27 and Bradley Beal 25 as Phoenix fought back from an early 13-point deficit to claim a win that lifts them to 27-29 in the Western Conference.
Australian international Josh Giddey led the Bulls’ scorers with 24 points.
Elsewhere, the Philadelphia 76ers problems continued with a seventh straight defeat as they slumped to an agonizing 105-103 home loss against the Brooklyn Nets.
Sixers ace Tyrese Maxey leveled it for Philadelphia with a three-pointer with 23 seconds remaining.
But Nic Claxton’s tip layup at the buzzer snatched victory for Brooklyn, who improved to 21-35 with the win.
Cameron Johnson led Brooklyn’s scorers with 23 points, while Maxey’s 31-point haul went in vain for Philadelphia.
Sixers star Joel Embiid had another frustrating outing, finishing with only 14 points from 4-of-13 shooting and being benched for the fourth quarter.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse defended Embiid’s contribution as he continues to struggle with a niggling knee problem.
“He’s giving us what he can,” Nurse said of Embiid. “He’s not himself, we all know that. He’s not, certainly, the guy that we’re used to seeing play at a super high level.
“But I commend him for giving us what he can.”
Doncic dominates as Lakers rout Nuggets, Suns gore Bulls
https://arab.news/ww8yh
Doncic dominates as Lakers rout Nuggets, Suns gore Bulls
- The Slovenian superstar was the standout performer for the Lakers
- Doncic finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists
E1 World Championship opens 2026 season in Jeddah with expanded field, growing global profile
- Season’s opener features record 10 teams
JEDDAH: The 2026 UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF will launch its new season in Jeddah, with the Red Sea city once again hosting the world’s first all-electric raceboat series, and champions Team Brady beginning their title defense against an expanded and competitive field.
Set against Jeddah’s Red Sea coastline, the season-opening E1 Jeddah GP 2026, which takes place over Jan. 23-24, will feature a record 10 teams racing the cutting-edge E1 RaceBirds, underlining the rapid growth of the championship and its ambitions as a global competition spanning four continents.
Team Brady are the outfit to beat, having claimed the Champions of the Water title in 2024 and 2025. However, competition is expected to be fiercer than ever, with several teams strengthening their lineups ahead of the new campaign.
Team Monaco and Sierra Racing Club join the championship for 2026, adding further depth to the grid with a mix of experienced and emerging pilots. Team Rafa, who finished just 11 points behind Team Brady last season after a title fight that went down to the final laps, are widely regarded as one of the leading contenders and will be aiming to make an early statement in Jeddah.
Team AlUla Championed by LeBron James also return to race on home waters, one year on from their E1 debut. Carrying local pride, the team will be looking to build on last season’s momentum in front of Saudi fans.
The world-class field is further strengthened by a roster of high-profile, celebrity-backed teams, including Will Smith’s Team Westbrook, DJ Steve Aoki’s Team Aoki, Team Drogba, led by football legend Didier Drogba and his partner Gabrielle Lemaire, and Team Miami, featuring Grammy Award-winning artist Marc Anthony.
Fans will be able to get close to the action across qualifying and race day, with on-water viewing available from the E1 Fan Zone. The area will give visitors the chance to see the E1 RaceBirds up close and will feature a gaming arena with simulator and virtual reality experiences, as well as a VOX cinema screening of “Zootopia 2.” Merchandise outlets and a range of food and beverage options will also be available, creating a family-friendly race-day experience.
Beyond the racing, E1’s return to Saudi Arabia reflects the Kingdom’s growing role in shaping the future of electric sport and sustainable mobility. The championship serves as a living laboratory for electric propulsion systems, accelerating innovation that can influence marine transport while also supporting broader conversations around ocean protection.
As part of its partnership with E1, Formula E’s Driving Force Presented by PIF E360 is hosting its educational program in Jeddah this week. The initiative aims to inspire students aged 8 to 18 to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as sustainability, through the lens of electric racing.
The program reached more than 60,000 students globally in 2025 alone, with a further 50,000 targeted this year, taking its reach to over 100,000 young people worldwide.
On the sporting side, PIF’s commitment to excellence will again be recognized through the PIF Pilot of the Day award, presented after finals day to honor standout skill and performance over the race weekend.
Alejandro Agag, founder and chairman of E1, said: “Starting our 2026 season in Jeddah is a powerful statement for E1. The region represents ambition, innovation and a clear vision for the future, and the Red Sea provides the perfect environment as our largest grid yet of 10 teams begin their battle to be crowned 2026 Champions of the Water.”
The Jeddah race is set to deliver high-intensity competition, renewed rivalries and an early glimpse into the future of high-performance racing on water.
