Brandon Ingram, Brook Lopez and Julius Randle carried them early, and Jordan Clarkson found his rhythm in the second half to help the Los Angeles Lakers hang on for a 102-99 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. The win snapped the Lakers’ two-game losing streak.
Coming off back-to-back losses, one of which was a blow out at the hands of the Orlando Magic, the Lakers made a change in their lineup by starting Josh Hart in place of Tyler Ennis. Despite playing without a traditional point guard, the Lakers got going early.
However, as has been the case all too often this season, that momentum was washed away. Brooklyn went on a 11-2 run to erase their deficit and led 26-24 at the end of the first. The scoring spurt set the tone for what was to come at Barclays Center.
The Lakers crashed the offensive glass to come up with several rebounds and second-chance opportunities, and at one point went on a 7-0 run in the second quarter. Randle in particular was key, as the Nets didn’t have an answer for him on the block.
Brooklyn did respond with a 7-2 stretch of their own, cutting the Lakers’ lead to two points by halftime. While L.A. began the third quarter by missing their first five shots, the Nets used that to build what grew to a nine-point lead.
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 14 points in the third quarter and finished with a team-high 18. Keeping with the trend, the Lakers mounted a run, spearheaded by Brook Lopez. He made back-to-back 3-pointers and overall connected on three of four attempts from deep.
After going 0-for-5 in the first half, Clarkson made consecutive 3-pointers in the third quarter and added another in the fourth. The Lakers appeared to be well in control of the game but a scoring drought allowed the Nets to climb back into it.
Hart’s corner three snapped Brooklyn’s 8-0 run and gave the Lakers some breathing room with a four-point lead and less than three minutes remaining. Lopez’s late basket put his former team in a difficult spot, but Randle splitting free throws prevented the Lakers from icing the game.
A missed 3-pointer by Joe Harris was the Nets’ final attempt. D’Angelo Russell, who was not on the court for the last possession, had 15 points, four rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes off the bench.
Lopez tied for the team high with 19 points, adding three rebounds and three blocked shots, one of which came late in the fourth quarter. Randle also had 19 points, to go along with 12 rebounds, though he also led the team with five turnovers.
Ingram’s all-around effort nearly produced a triple-double as he had 16 points, eight rebounds and a career-high 10 assists. Similarly, Hart had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, setting a career high in rebounds.
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