March 27, 2026, 11:11 p.m. PT
The Los Angeles Lakers returned home from a successful six-game road trip, during which they won five games, to host the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. It was supposed to be the type of game where they launched themselves high into orbit early and never came back down to earth, but it turned out to be almost that proverbial “trap game” following a long road trip.
They started quickly and got out to a 22-10 lead, but Brooklyn clawed back to go ahead 44-39 in the second quarter. A subsequent 15-2 run allowed the Lakers to go back in front, but things were choppy afterward, as the Lakers seemed to have trouble clearing out the cobwebs after spending nearly two weeks in the Central and Eastern Time Zones.
Brooklyn seemed to be coming up with more loose balls than the Lakers did, but the Lakers managed to stay in the game by getting to the free throw line. Finally, midway through the fourth quarter, an 11-2 run gave them some breathing room, and it was enough to propel them to a 116-99 victory that wasn’t nearly as pretty as the final score may suggest.
Los Angeles clamped down defensively on the Nets when it mattered most, holding them to 15 fourth-quarter points and 36.4% shooting in the second half. Overall, the Nets shot 41.7% from the field and 25.6% from 3-point range, while L.A. was at 54.5% overall and 44% from beyond the arc. L.A. was a plus-nine on the boards, but the big difference was its 42 free throw attempts, compared to just 15 for the Nets.
With a 48-26 record, Los Angeles remains in third place in the Western Conference and 1.5 games ahead of the fourth-place Denver Nuggets.
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!Jake LaRavia: D
LaRavia got his third start in a row with Marcus Smart still unable to play due to an ankle ailment. He missed both of his field-goal attempts and went scoreless, and his only contribution was two rebounds in 18 minutes.
Deandre Ayton: B
Ayton was back on the court after missing Wednesday’s 137-130 win over the Indiana Pacers due to back soreness. He made all three of his shot attempts and scored nine points, and he also grabbed seven rebounds and blocked three shots. However, Nic Claxton, his opposite number, ended up making eight of 10 shot attempts and scored 16 points, which was greater than the 11.8 points a game Claxton averaged coming into this game.
Austin Reaves: A
Reaves only had four points in the first half, and through three quarters, he had 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting. But he got himself going in the fourth quarter and made his imprint on this game.
He hit back-to-back treys early in the period to ignite the run that allowed the Lakers to finally open up a sizable lead. He ended up with the type of numbers fans have come to expect from him these days: 26 points on 7-of-13 overall shooting, 4-of-7 from 3-point range and 8-of-11 from the free throw line, eight rebounds and five assists in 40 minutes.
LeBron James: C-plus/B-minus
James helped the Lakers take an early lead with seven first-quarter points and 11 in the first half. He was quiet afterward, as the Nets did a fairly good job at times of not letting him get off easy opportunities deep in the paint. He ended up with 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting and 4-of-7 from the free throw line, six rebounds, eight assists and one steal in 37 minutes.
Luka Doncic: A
Doncic continued his recent rampage on Friday. The two-time reigning Western Conference Player of the Week had 14 points in the first quarter and 24 in the first half, and he continued to pour it on all night. He scored 41 points and made 15 of his 25 field-goal attempts, five of his 10 3-point tries and all six of his free throw attempts. He also got eight rebounds and added three assists, three steals and one block, although he did commit five turnovers.
However, with just over five minutes to go in the third quarter, Doncic and Ziaire Williams had a flare-up that resulted in both being assessed technical fouls. Doncic was talking to Williams and then gave the forward a very light shove or touch, and Williams reacted by hitting Doncic in the upper chest area. It was Doncic’s 16th technical foul of the season, which means that unless it is rescinded by the NBA, he will be automatically suspended for one game when the Lakers host the Washington Wizards on Monday.
In Saturday’s game against the Orlando Magic, Doncic and Goga Bitadze had a trash-talking incident that resulted in both players receiving technical fouls, but Doncic’s was rescinded, preventing him from incurring an automatic one-game suspension for reaching 16 technicals on the season.
Rui Hachimura: B
Hachimura returned after a two-game absence, and he scored his first points of the game by getting a steal and a breakaway jam. On the night, he made three of his six shot attempts to score eight points, and in 26 minutes, he added three rebounds and one steal.
Luke Kennard: B
Kennard was on the court for 17 minutes, and he made two of his four shot attempts, which included a 3-pointer, to score five points. He also got four rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Jaxson Hayes: A
Hayes’ energy and effort helped the Lakers stay in this game and eventually pull away. He played 26 minutes and grabbed eight rebounds, with six of them coming in that decisive fourth quarter. He also scored 10 points by making two of his three shot attempts and six of his 10 free throw attempts, as he was active in the paint, and on the other end, he blocked five shots.
He played the last five minutes of the third quarter and the entire fourth quarter, making him a pivotal figure in terms of turning this game around for Los Angeles.
Jarred Vanderbilt: C-minus
In 10 minutes, Vanderbilt had two rebounds, went scoreless and missed his only shot attempt, which was a dunk attempt that was blocked by Terance Mann.
Bronny James: Incomplete
The younger James checked into this game to start the second quarter and got 4:26 of playing time. He scored his lone basket on a 3-pointer that came off a pass from his father.