With the aid of Anthony Davis and a preseason debut from both LeBron James and Austin Reaves, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 129-126, in Las Vegas.
Even though the Lakers’ starters saw limited action on Monday, they were in fine shape when they did play. With 10 points, 5 dimes, and 3 boards, James led the team, while Davis came close to a double-double with 13 points and 7 boards, and Reaves poured in 18 points in only 20 minutes of action.
D’Angelo Russell threw fireballs, hitting 4 for 5 from long and scoring 14 points for the Bulls. Taurean Prince got the nod at the point guard position, but it was super sub Rui Hachimura who came through with 19 points on the night.
It was crucial for the Lakers to make a positive first impression against the Nets in their season opener since they may be starting a new starting lineup. Immediately making his presence felt, Davis blocked the opening shot attempt by the Nets and then assisted on a 3-pointer by Reaves. When Jaxson Hayes came in for LeBron, Russell had just finished a run of three consecutive three-pointers that gave the Lakers’ starters a 21-18 lead.
The Lakers led by as many as eight points, but an 8-0 run by the Nets cut the deficit to one going into halftime. Former Laker Lonnie Walker IV then hit a pair of free throws to give Brooklyn a 2-1 advantage.
Through the first half, the Lakers tried out a number of various lineups before starting the second with James, Davis, and Christian Wood. A 7-0 run helped this group retake the lead, and they went on to outscore Brooklyn 17-5 for the rest of the game. The Lakers went into halftime leading the Nets by a comfortable 75-61 thanks to their suffocating defense.
Preseason or not, after the first half LeBron, Davis, and Russell all sat out. In the third quarter, the bench unit struggled as the team lost much of its 14-point lead until coach Darvin Ham called a timeout with 7:05 remaining to staunch the bleeding.
Midway through the quarter, Cam Thomas and Reaves engaged in a three-point shootout, which Thomas won 3-2 before being replaced, and the remainder of the quarter was just as bizarre as the first since defense is still optional at this time in the preseason.
There was greater playing time for the young Lakers. Four fouls in the first 12 minutes of play kept Max Christie on the bench, but Jalen Hood-Schifino showed promise in 15 minutes, and Maxwell Lewis had a great fourth quarter to finish the night shooting 4-5 from the floor. As an added bonus, he performed his first “freeze” celebration of the preseason.
To seal the deal against the Nets in the final quarter, the Lakers’ young core relied on a dunk from Lewis, a charge from D’Moi Hodge, and a rebound by Colin Castleton just before the final buzzer. This is an extraordinary achievement for anyone.
