Nikola Jokic gets 38, leads Nuggets past LeBron James-less Lakers

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Nikola Jokic had 38 points, 18 rebounds and six assists, and the Denver Nuggets moved into fifth place in the Western Conference with a 129-118 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Will Barton scored 25 points and Aaron Gordon added 24 points and eight rebounds for the Nuggets, who capitalized on LeBron James' absence with a fourth-quarter surge to grab their fourth win in five games.

"Very satisfying, knowing the situation, four games to go (when) you’ve got people right behind you, pushing you," Denver coach Michael Malone said. "This was an important road win. We’ve been a great road team all regular season long. ... When it mattered most, we were able to get stops."

Denver moved a half-game ahead of Utah for the fifth spot in the playoff picture, getting further insurance against being forced into the play-in tournament.

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Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, shoots as Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 3, 2022, in Los Angeles.  (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

"I think it's a really important win for us," Jokic said. "I'm just glad that we're winning. If we're playing bad and we're winning, that's the most important thing. I think it was really collective play that we did together, but hopefully we can keep it up to separate further and be even better."

Anthony Davis had 28 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the 11th-place Lakers, whose play-in hopes waned further with their sixth consecutive loss. Los Angeles has lost 28 of 38 since Jan. 7. Russell Westbrook added 27 points and Carmelo Anthony