The Lakers wrapped up their road trip with a statement win, steamrolling the Nets 125-109 in a game that was all but over by halftime. From the opening tip, it was clear Los Angeles came out locked in, and Brooklyn simply couldn’t keep up.
The first quarter was a masterclass in offensive execution. The Lakers dropped 45 points in the opening frame, hitting their first seven shots and putting Brooklyn on its heels immediately.
Deandre Ayton got things rolling with a layup, and by the time the Nets called their first timeout, LA had already established control. Michael Porter Jr. added to the early surge by drawing contact from beyond the arc and converting two of three free throws.
Jake LaRavia chipped in six early points, continuing his recent stretch of solid play, and the Lakers extended their run to 18-4. Luka Dončić, doing what he does best, was the first Laker in double figures with 10 points in the blink of an eye. Jaxson Hayes brought the energy with a flurry of dunks, finishing the quarter with nine points and giving the Lakers a 22-point cushion after just 12 minutes.
Austin Reaves made his return to the lineup and didn’t miss a beat. He drew contact, got to the line, and hit his free throws-classic Reaves. The second quarter opened with a LeBron James layup, and then came the highlight of the night: Reaves threw a perfect lob to LeBron, who hammered it home for an alley-oop that had the Barclays Center buzzing-especially the large contingent of Lakers fans in the building.
By that point, the Nets were reeling. LeBron added another dunk to the show, and LA’s lead ballooned to 39.
The only blemish? Free throw shooting.
The Lakers hit just 61% from the stripe in the first half-something to clean up moving forward.
Still, the dominance was undeniable. Reaves had nine points by the midpoint of the second quarter, and the Lakers were up by 38 before a brief lapse allowed Brooklyn to rattle off a quick 7-0 run. Even so, the Lakers carried a 29-point lead into halftime.
The third quarter saw a slight shift in momentum, but not enough to change the outcome. LeBron opened the half with a layup, and then capitalized on a Brooklyn turnover with another dunk.
Reaves finally found the range from deep, hitting his first three after five misses. Brooklyn, to their credit, started hitting shots-especially from long range-and managed to outscore LA 34-31 in the third.
But the damage had already been done. The Lakers still led by 26 heading into the fourth.
At that point, the game was in cruise control. The fourth quarter played out like a formality, with both teams getting up and down the floor but the outcome never in doubt.
Key Performances:
- LeBron James: 25 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals - and a couple of highlight-reel dunks that reminded everyone he’s still got plenty of bounce.
- Luka Dončić: 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists in just 29 minutes - efficient, effective, and in complete command.
- Austin Reaves: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals in 21 minutes - a strong return to action, showing his value on both ends.
- Jake LaRavia: 18 points, 5 rebounds - one of his best performances in a Lakers uniform, bringing scoring punch off the bench.
- Jaxson Hayes: 9 points, 2 assists - brought energy and rim-running that helped fuel LA’s early surge.
- Deandre Ayton: 7 points, 8 rebounds - solid presence in the paint, even if the stat line doesn’t jump off the page.
This one was over early, but the Lakers didn’t let up. They played with pace, purpose, and plenty of flash.
With the win, they close out their road trip on a high note and now look ahead to a marquee matchup against the 76ers on Thursday night. If they bring this kind of intensity, Philly better be ready.