Playing without four starters and two other rotation players, Austin Reaves (37 points, 13 assists), Dalton Knecht (32 points) and the Lakers scrap their way to a lead in the final minute before

Jamal Murray sank a 3-pointer with 5.6 seconds left and Russell Westbrook stole the inbounds pass for a exclamation-point dunk as the Denver Nuggets rebuffed the scrappy, short-handed Los Angeles Lakers 131-126 Friday night.

Hometown kid Dalton Knecht helped out the Lakers with 32 points in a starting role. The Nuggets couldn’t defend, but they found enough buckets in the end.

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SportsLine's model simulated the Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers 10,000 times and revealed its NBA picks for Friday

Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets host the Lakers in a Friday NBA showdown. Learn how to stream the game live for free.