The Los Angeles Lakers returned home to host the Brooklyn Nets after a successful six-game road trip. The Lakers and Nets are on opposite trajectories as the 2025-26 season winds down, as the former is looking to make a deep playoff run while the latter is in a multi-year rebuild.
Younger, more athletic squads have given the Lakers trouble this year and that was no different as the Nets kept it competitive for most of the night. Los Angeles started the game hot offensively, but Brooklyn stayed in it thanks to second-chance points and points off of turnovers.
The first home game after a road trip is often considered a trap game, and it seemed like the Lakers were heading toward disaster as the Nets came back to take a lead in the second half. However, a late offensive surge and some timely defensive stops allowed Los Angeles to hold on and win 116-99.
Luka Doncic has put himself firmly in the MVP conversation thanks to a historic stretch scoring the basketball. Doncic has powered several Los Angeles wins by himself and that was no different against Brooklyn as he was one of the few players that could find an offensive rhythm.
The Nets don’t have any perimeter defenders that can hang with Doncic, so the Lakers star exploited that by getting to his preferred spots with ease. Doncic used his physicality and craftiness with the basketball to get into the paint, but also found space beyond the arc to launch several open 3-pointers.
While Brooklyn made Los Angeles work for the victory, Doncic wouldn’t be denied another huge scoring performance. Doncic finished the night with a game-high 41 points to go along with eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Austin Reaves had a relatively quiet first half but came alive in the second half when the Lakers needed someone besides Doncic to score. Reaves made a splash in the fourth quarter, hitting multiple threes to give Los Angeles a lead that they never relinquished.
Reaves was the team’s leading scorer in the fourth and he finished with an impressive 26 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-7 from the 3-point line. He also had eight rebounds and five assists.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers finally get a couple of days of rest before they host the Washington Wizards on Monday. They’ll then host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night to close out a back-to-back set.
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