The Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets had one of the most thrilling matchups of the season Saturday in an overtime battle that ended 127-125 in the Lakers' favor for both their first overtime game and overtime win of the season. 

The game had no shortage of highlight-reel moments, including Luka Doncic's game-winner right at the end of the game, but the real show-stopping play wasn't one that happened in overtime, but rather the play that sent the game to overtime. 

With 5.2 seconds left in the game and the Lakers trailing by two, Austin Reaves found himself at the free throw line with one shot left. But, rather than sink the final shot and cut the Nuggets' lead down to one, Reaves intentionally missed the shot, then grabbed his own rebound to lay the ball up and tie the game. 

The daring play couldn't have been executed any better and from Aaron Gordon's perspective, there simply wasn't an answer to the way that Reaves executed it.

"[He's] a skilled player. Really skilled player," Gordon said (via Nuggets). "He's a talented guy. He's just in the flow of the game and it worked out for him. So, you tip your cap to him."

Gordon in particular wasn't in any position to put a stop to the play. He was placed on the right hand side of the basket and as Reaves rebounded to the left, it was simply out of his hands as he watched the game-tying shot go in. 

As thrilling of a game as it was, it ended in a loss that the Nuggets simply can't afford at this point of the season.

At the moment, the Nuggets are tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the fifth-seed in the Western Conference and the Nuggets need to win very game they can, especially against conference rivals, to secure their playoff spot. 

With Gordon back in the lineup after being out with injury, Denver's chances of holding on to key games improves drastically.

His size and offensive versatility is an ideal complement to the offensive game that Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray promote and while the trio haven't had much time on the court this season, they're capable of great things when they are.

Saturday's game may have not gone their way, but it took nothing short of a perfectly executed play and a standout performance from Doncic to make that happen. 

It's one setback in a crucial stretch of the season, but with Gordon back and getting comfortable again, the Nuggets aren't finished yet.