“Needs To Be Canceled” – Fans Blast Shaquille O’Neal For Criticizing Lakers Despite Stunning Win Over Nuggets

Shaquille O'Neal criticized the Lakers' close win over the Nuggets for relying on last-second heroics against the Nuggets.

“Needs To Be Canceled” – Fans Blast Shaquille O’Neal For Criticizing Lakers Despite Stunning Win Over Nuggets

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Shaquille O'Neal criticized the Lakers for relying on last-second heroics despite their recent win over the Nuggets.
  • Fans reacted negatively to Shaq's comments, calling them unfair and highlighting the importance of the victory.
  • Luka Doncic starred in the game, recording a triple-double and hitting the game-winning shot in overtime.

Hall of Famer and Inside the NBA panelist Shaquille O’Neal is a Los Angeles Lakers legend. The Diesel spent eight seasons with the Lakers from 1996 to 2004. During his spell with the Lakers, Shaq joined forces with Kobe Bryant and won three NBA championships, three Finals MVP awards, one league MVP and one scoring title to just name a few.

Being a Lakers legend, the big man is a huge supporter of the team as well. Shaquille O’Neal was left unimpressed by his former club on Saturday night. After an uneven start to 2026, the Lakers are on a good run at the moment and registered an impressive 127-125 overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets at the Crypto.com Arena.

The win extended the Lakers’ winning streak to five games and clinched their head-to-head, 2-1, in their third and final meeting against the Nuggets in the regular-season. Their good run of form has seen their record improve to 42-25 as they climb up to third place in the Western Conference standings. Meanwhile, the Nuggets dropped to sixth place in the standings with a 41-27 record.

Prior to their win over the Chicago Bulls, LeBron James had missed three consecutive games due to an elbow injury. There were talks that the team functioned better without James in the lineup due to him being a defensive liability. But since James’ return, the purple and gold have won both their matches.

Despite recording an important win over a Western Conference rival, Shaq was critical of the Lakers and believes that relying on last-second heroics wasn’t good enough for a true contender.

If you have to rely on that, you’re not going to win and not being a contender. I’m used to playing for coaches who wouldn’t be happy with that game… You up 15 at home, you have to beat them by 15.

Shaquille O’Neal said on Inside the NBA

Shaq’s comments can be considered to be a bit unfair as the Nuggets are strong contenders in the West. The Lakers needed the win as they have struggled against top teams this season. With a spot in the play-in tournament at least, the Lakers are well on court for a direct playoffs qualification.

NBA fans react to Shaquille O’Neal’s criticism of the Lakers

Games between top teams are bound to be close, especially with the playoffs approaching. Despite being up by 15, the Nuggets made a strong comeback and took the game to overtime. Following Shaq’s comments, fans were quick to react to his criticism across social media.

Fans were disappointed with Shaq’s comments and called him out for his poor analysis. At the end of the day, a win is a win, and the team can use this to build a momentum heading into the playoffs.

Luka Doncic magic leads the Los Angeles Lakers to another win

Since acquiring Luka Doncic at the trade deadline last year, LeBron James and the Lakers management have made it clear that the Slovenian was the focal point of the team as they prepare for life in the post-James era. He is leading the league in scoring and is currently averaging 32.8 points, eight rebounds, and 8.5 assists this season.

Luka Doncic with another triple double on Saturday
Luka Doncic with another triple double on Saturday (Image credits – Los Angeles Lakers/X)

On Saturday night, Doncic was the star of the show once again. The Lakers guard recorded another triple double as he ended his night with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. The MVP candidate was active on defense as well with one steal and three blocks. Austin Reaves scored a game-high 32 points, while James posted 17 points.

With the scores tied and six seconds remaining in overtime, ‘Luka Magic’ sealed the deal for the Lakers. Doncic sunk a difficult game-winning fadeaway from the corner, beating the clock and securing another important win.

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