Lakers: LeBron James Leads the Way in Huge Win Over the Nets
The Lakers came into Barclays Center in New York with their heads sort of hanging low. They came off of a loss to the Heat and really needed a win. Luckily for Los Angeles and Frank Vogel, they did get Anthony Davis back for the first time since mid-December.
Things did not get off to an excellent start for the Lakers, who allowed James Harden to score 16 points. But the offense showed up in a big way and outscored Brooklyn 33-25. The Nets were playing this one without both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. KD will be sidelined through the All-Star Break with a knee injury.
The Lakers were able to keep up that success in the second quarter, going into halftime with a 9-point lead. But the third quarter started to look a little rough for Los Angeles.
They allowed the Nets to get within 2 points halfway through the third before once again pulling away. The Lakers headed into the final quarter with an incredible 14-point lead as Brooklyn's defense collapsed.
LeBron James did everything he could in this one, showing signs of strong defense with AD back in the lineup. He eventually finished with 33 points and made 2 of his 8 three-point attempts. He was 12-for-13 from the rest of the field before being removed with 1:30 left.
As for the rest of the Lakers, Malik Monk had himself another nice game offensively. He went 6-for-12 from beyond the arc and tallied 22 points, adding in 5 rebounds and a pair of assists. AD played a total of 25 minutes in his first game back, scoring 8 points and adding 4 blocks in the mix.
Up next, the Lakers will take on the 76ers on Thursday night in Philadelphia. Philly has had a bunch of success this season with a 28-19 record, good for the 5th seed in the Eastern Confernce.
