LOS ANGELES: Luka Doncic had 31 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in just three quarters of work, and the Los Angeles Lakers routed the Denver Nuggets 120-108 on Wednesday night in a matchup of injury-depleted Western Conference contenders.
Nikola Jokic (elbow) and Jamal Murray (ankle) missed their second straight games for Denver, while LeBron James (hamstring) and Rui Hachimura (knee) continued their longer-term absences for Los Angeles.
Austin Reaves had 22 points and eight assists for the Lakers, who have won nine consecutive home games and three straight since finishing their 0-4 road trip last Friday with a loss at Denver.
Aaron Gordon scored 26 points for the Nuggets.
The Lakers scored a season-high 46 points in the first quarter led by Doncic, who scorched Denver for 21 points in his highest-scoring quarter of the season. He missed the Lakers’ 131-126 loss to Denver last Friday, when the Lakers nearly won without him and James.
Los Angeles led by 28 after three quarters, allowing Doncic to get extra rest amid five home games in seven days.
Bronny James played the final 3:58.
Takeaways
Nuggets: Even without Jokic and Murray, offense wasn’t the problem. Los Angeles made 60 percent of its shots in the first three quarters.
Lakers: Doncic dominated early, but they’re thriving with balance. Six Lakers scored in double figures, and big men Jaxson Hayes and Christian Koloko played solid defense.
Key moment
Doncic was afire from the opening tip, scoring nine points in less than three minutes and 20 points in about eight minutes. He led an 18-2 run midway through the first quarter with three 3-pointers and three assists before cooling off.
Key stat
Doncic scored 30 points for the 200th time in his NBA career. He’s done it eight times in 16 games with LA.
Up next
The Nuggets visit the Trail Blazers on Friday. The Lakers host the Bucks on Thursday.
Luka Doncic scores 31 after a big first quarter, and the Lakers rout the depleted Nuggets 120-108
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Luka Doncic scores 31 after a big first quarter, and the Lakers rout the depleted Nuggets 120-108
- The Lakers scored a season-high 46 points in the first quarter led by Luka Doncic
- Doncic was afire from the opening tip, scoring nine points in less than three minutes and 20 points in about eight minutes
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi grounded in Qatar amid intensifying Iran war
- Al-Khelaifi has been trying to return to Paris ahead of PSG’s Champions League round-of-16 match against Chelsea on Wednesday
- He was trying to get a flight out of Doha on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morningWEST SAI
PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been left stranded in Qatar amid the war in the Middle East.
Al-Khelaifi has not been able to fly out of Doha for more than a week, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The person spoke on the condition on anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Flights in and out of the Middle East have been impacted by the Iran war, which began the US and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28.
Al-Khelaifi has been trying to return to Paris ahead of PSG’s Champions League round-of-16 match against Chelsea on Wednesday. He was trying to get a flight out of Doha on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, the person said.
With only limited space available on commercial flights, passengers have been left waiting until close to take-off if they have been approved to fly.
The ripple effects of the war have spread across the Middle East and beyond with Iran launching retaliatory strikes in the Gulf states. It has upended travel across the region, stranding hundreds of thousands of people.
Airports in the Gulf serve as critical hubs connecting travelers going to Europe, Africa and Asia. Airspace closures have seen many carriers forced to either cancel flights or shift to longer routes.
Last week US citizens described frustrations and growing fear as they encountered closed airports and canceled flights.
But there have been signs that flight disruptions are easing.
The British government said Tuesday that the number of commercial flights from the United Arab Emirates to the UK was returning to normal levels.
The Foreign Office said 32 flights operated from Dubai to Britain on Monday and another 36 were scheduled Tuesday. The British government has also operated a handful of chartered flights from Oman and Dubai, with more than 45,000 UK citizens returning from the Gulf since the conflict began.
PSG are the defending European champion and hosts Chelsea at Parc des Princes in the first leg of the round of 16 tie. The teams play again in London next week.
