Los Angeles Lakers (48-26) beat Brooklyn Nets (17-57) 116-99 at home on Friday, March 27, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Lakers had the better start, winning the first 35-30 to lead by 5 after one. The Nets cut into the deficit with a 29-26 second quarter, though the Lakers still led by 2 at halftime.
The Nets won the third 25-24 to stay in front, taking a 1-point lead into the fourth. The Lakers took the fourth 31-15; the Lakers finished the job for a 116-99 regulation win.
What decided it
The Lakers made 41.4 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 9.4 for the Nets. The Lakers got more from their shots, finishing at 62.1% effective field-goal shooting compared with 46.9% for the Nets. The points at the line gave them room for error elsewhere.
The Nets did win one battle, second chances: ORB% of 22.2% against 18.2%. The Lakers made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 100 possessions per team, the Lakers produced 116 points per 100 possessions to 99 for the Nets.
The Nets' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 35-17.
Who made the difference
Luka Doncic was the game's biggest individual force for LAL: 41 pts, 8 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl on 15-25 shooting. His Game Score of 31.5 led everyone. His team was +19 with him on the floor.
Nicolas Claxton led the Nets with 16 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast on 8-10 shooting, good for a 18.3 Game Score.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Lakers about a 92% chance.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Los Angeles Lakers lead 2-1.
The Lakers are now 48-26, and the Nets are 17-57. The Lakers last five before this game: W-W-W-L-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.