Please explain us the NTLM Authentication process?

NTLM Authentication Process
NTLM includes three methods of challenge-response authentication: LM, NTLMv1, and NTLMv2. The authentication process for all the methods is the same, but they differ in the level of encryption.
The following steps demonstrate the flow of events that occur when a client authenticates to a domain controller using any of the NTLM protocols:
1. The client and server negotiate an authentication protocol. This is accomplished through the Microsoft negotiate Security Support Provider (SSP).
2. The client sends the user name and domain name to the domain controller.
3. The domain controller generates a 16-byte random character string called a nonce.
4. The client encrypts the nonce with a hash of the user password and sends it back to the domain controller.
5. The domain controller retrieves the hash of the user password from the security account database.
6. The domain controller uses the hash value retrieved from the security account database to encrypt the nonce. The value is compared with the value received from the client. If the values match, the client is authenticated.