Los Angeles Lakers welcome Mike D’Antoni with a win over Brooklyn Nets – NBA Recap
The Los Angeles Lakers travelled to Brooklyn to play their first game under newly acquired Head Coach Mike D’Antoni, facing a Brooklyn Nets team that had won five straight games. However, the Lakers were determined to give their new coach a warm welcome and won a closely fought game 95-90 here on Tuesday night, breaking the Nets winning streak.
Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 25 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds while going 8 of 15 from the field and 8 of 10 from the foul line. Dwight Howard had another great game, finishing with 23 points and 15 rebounds, but went 7 of 19 from the foul line. Brook Lopez led the Nets in scoring with 23 points and 7 rebounds, where as Deron Williams registered a double , finishing with 22 points and 10 assists.
The Nets got off to a slow start, missing their first five field goal attempts and remaining scoreless till the 8:10 mark which allowed the Lakers to jump to an early 10-0 lead. However, the Nets came back with an 8-0 run capped off by a three pointer by Williams to trail 8-10. Back to back field goals by Lopez had the Nets down by 1, but Bryant scored a three pointer and followed with a jump shot to keep the Lakers ahead 25-21. A tip shot by Gasol with less than a minute left in the period ensured the Lakers went into the second quarter with a 29-23 lead.
C.J. Watson started the second period for Brooklyn with back to back three pointers and tied the game at 29. A fade away jumper by Joe Johnson gave the Nets their first lead of the night at 33-31, and a three pointer by Johnson later in the period kept them ahead 38-37. Metta World Peace tied the game at 42 with a three point shot, but Williams scored the final 10 points for the Nets and ensured that they went into the halftime break with the psychological advantage of having a 57-56 lead.
Darius Morris opened the Lakers scoring in the third period with a three pointer to tie the game at 59, but a three point play by Kris Humphries gave the Nets the 68-66 advantage. The Lakers closed the period on an 8-2 run, which helped them take a 76-73 lead heading into the final period.
Back to back field goals by Lopez early in the final period once again tied the game at 77, and a dunk by Gerald Wallace put the Nets up 79-77. World Peace hit a three to cut the Nets lead down to 2, and a free throw by Bryant tied the game at 84. The Lakers took an 89-86 lead with a running hook shot by Bryant, and the Lakers scored all of their free throws in the final minutes to ensure a 95-90 victory in the end.
The Lakers shot 47.9 percent from the field, but were only 6 of 21 from three point range and a dismal 19 of 37 from the foul line. The Nets shot 41.5 percent from the field and 7 of 23 from three point range. Pau Gasol finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists for the Lakers, and Joe Johnson added 14 points and 6 assists for the Nets.
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