An unnecessarily close game ended with the Lakers pulling away in the fourth for a 116-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
The game began with LA taking control early. Luka Dončić scored seven points. LeBron James was close behind with four points. The Lakers went up by 11, prompting a Nets timeout. Out of the break, Brooklyn missed their shot attempt.
Los Angeles was shooting 69% from the field.
After starting the game terribly, Brooklyn went on a 9-2 scoring run to make it a five-point game. Luka entered double figures with 11 points. Luke Kennard drained a triple as the quarter was winding down. At the end of the first, the purple and gold were up by five.
Terance Mann started the second period by converting on a jumpshot for the Nets. Brooklyn made it a one-point game after scoring four in a row. It forced the Lakers to call a timeout. Out of the break, Mann knocked down a 3-pointer that put them in the lead. LeBron and Bronny James combined for a quick seven points to tie the game. Luka knocked down his third triple of the half. He was a perfect 3-3 from behind the arc and had 19 points so far.
The Lakers were on a 14-2 scoring run.
Nolan Traore was having a nice game for the Nets with nine points. Nic Claxton was in double figures with 12. They were a big reason why it became a two-point game at halftime. Traore ended the half with a buzzer-beating triple.
The third period began with Austin Reaves getting fouled and converting on both free throws. Noah Clowney responded with a 3-pointer on the other end. Luka helped extend LA’s lead to five. The lead went back and forth between three and five as Los Angeles struggled to build a bigger advantage.
At the 5:40 mark, Los Angeles was nursing a three-point lead.
Ziaire Williams scored a quick four points in a row that gave them the lead again. Luka picked up his 16th technical foul, which means he will miss the next game. Williams was playing great for the Nets. He was at 15 points.
The Nets jumped into the lead with 3:04 left in the quarter. Brooklyn was winning the second-chance points battle 19 to four. The Nets kept it close, but LA led by one going into the fourth quarter. Luka added to his monster night, pushing his total to 36 points.
Kennard opened the final frame with a layup for Los Angeles. LeBron connected with Jaxson Hayes for the jam on the other end. The Lakers were nursing a three-point lead until Josh Minott tried to throw down a wild dunk that went in. The Nets went up by one with 8:50 left.
Reaves knocked down a much-needed 3-pointer. Another triple from Reaves and a free throw from LeBron gave LA a small amount of breathing room with their lead. Luka and Reaves then took over, combining for five points to push Los Angeles’s lead to nine with five minutes left.
Minott drained a 3-pointer to stop some of their bleeding. With two minutes left, LA was up by 11 when Luka and Reaves put the finishing touches on the win with back-to-back 3-pointers.
Key Player Stats
Luka finished with 41 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. LeBron notched 14 points with eight assists. Reaves ended with 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Rui Hachimura logged eight points off the bench. Jaxson Hayes had 10 points and eight rebounds. Deandre Ayton scored nine points with seven rebounds.
The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Washington Wizards on Monday at 7:00 PM PT.
