Lakers Fall to Nets in Shorthanded Battle

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With both teams missing a superstar or two, the Brooklyn Nets outlasted a Lakers’ rally and seized control late for a 121-104 victory.

The Lakers were without LeBron James (30.2 points per game) and Anthony Davis (26.7), while the Nets continued their stretch minus Kevin Durant (29.7). L.A. was the slower horse out of the gates, scoring a season-low 16 first quarter points, as Brooklyn took a 19-point lead in the first half.

However, momentum started to shift around halftime and then completely swung in the third quarter. The Lakers blitzed Brooklyn, scoring 14 unanswered points to start the half and steal the lead. 

The turnaround was largely supplied by Russell Westbrook, who pitched in 17 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds, while passing Gary Payton for the 10th-most assists in NBA history. Westbrook was especially effective at feeding Wenyen Gabriel, who scored nine straight Lakers points (finishing with 11), as L.A.’s lead ballooned to seven.  But the gas ran out from there, in spite of six Lakers finishing with double-digit scoring. Thomas Bryant had a team-high 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting with nine rebounds. Rui Hachimura got his first start and pitched in 16 points. Troy Brown Jr. added 11 points and a career-best 17 rebounds.

Still, the Lakers’ offense took a nosedive without their two leading scorers. The Purple and Gold did shoot well from 3-point range, hitting 11 treys on a 37.9% clip. But, sans LeBron and AD’s interior domination, they were woeful inside, shooting just 24-of-60 on two-pointers (40.0%). They also missed 14 foul shots on 37 tries.

This allowed Brooklyn to seize the game, outscoring the Lakers by 14 in the fourth quarter. All-Star starter Kyrie Irving led his squad with 26 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, while Patty Mills and Cam Thomas matched each other with 21 points off the bench. 

The Lakers will remain in New York for another night, taking on the Knicks Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. PT.