The Los Angeles Lakers have officially broken the curse and returned to their winning ways against the Denver Nuggets. Momentum is still heavily in Denver's favor, but Los Angeles has proven capable of winning games against an opponent it previously couldn't dream of defeating.
One of the unsung heroes of the new result was a player who scored just three points, yet provided a profound impact on winning: Dorian Finney-Smith.
Finney-Smith has been a transformative acquisition for the Lakers during the 2024-25 regular season. His unquestioned consistency on defense has set the tone for his teammates and fueled the dramatic improvement the team has experienced on that end of the floor.
That was on full display against the Nuggets, as Finney-Smith helped anchor what may have been the Lakers' most impressive performance of the season.
Los Angeles was dominant from start to finish, ultimately prevailing with a statement of a 123-100 victory. The key to success was a blend of Luka Doncic finding his magic, four starters scoring at least 20 points, and the role players wreaking havoc on defense.
Finney-Smith led the charge in the latter regard, playing 27 high-level minutes and producing a plus-minus of plus-21—on brand for his Lakers tenure.
Dorian Finney-Smith, Lakers using defense to dominate
Los Angeles held Denver to just 100 points and 40.0 percent shooting from the field. The Nuggets were able to knock down 39.0 percent of their three-point field goal attempts, but that number is admittedly misleading.
Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray torched the Lakers to the tune of 10-of-18 shooting from distance, but Denver's other players combined to go just 6-of-23.
Furthermore, Los Angeles came up with 16 steals and forced 20 turnovers overall. Finney-Smith came up with two of those steals, as well as one of the Lakers' nine offensive rebounds, during what was a true team victory despite what the scoring column might suggest.
It was perhaps the best example of why Finney-Smith was such a powerful addition: Even when his shot isn't falling, his impact is reliable.
Finney-Smith played an instrumental role in the Lakers making life miserable for Nikola Jokic, who shot just 2-of-7 from the field, and Michael Porter Jr., who went 5-of-14. They swarmed the ball at every angle of the court, cutting off passing lanes and forcing poor decisions and shot attempts.
It was Doncic, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves who scored at virtual will against the Nuggets, but Finney-Smith continued to prove himself as the proverbial glue guy.
Finney-Smith is willing and able to take on the toughest defensive assignments while maintaining quality away from the ball. He also seems to positively influence his teammates, as evidenced by the fact that Los Angeles is allowing 9.4 fewer points per 100 possessions with him on the court.
Finney-Smith is finding his footing on the offensive end of the floor, but against Denver, he proved that he can still make a winning impact without knocking down shots.