No sleep till, Brooklyn.
Seven different players scored in double figures, and the Brooklyn Nets handed the Los Angeles Lakers back-to-back losses, 115-110, on Wednesday night at Barclays Center.
The Brooklyn bench carried the Nets to the finish line, outscoring the Lakers 48-18 in the kaleidoscopic game that marked the end of the Lakers four-game road trip.
"That's a frustrating way to end the road trip," Lakers head coach Luke Walton told reporters following the loss that dropped the team to 1-3 on the four-game trip. "You have to go out there and take games and we didn't do that tonight. We have to make shots when we're open. We have to make free throws, and defensively we have to do a better job. We can't let guys blow by us."
Los Angeles trailed by as many as 14 points in the third quarter, but after shifting to a small lineup, they continually chipped away at the lead, getting as close as two points in the waning minutes before former Laker, D'Angelo Russell, buried a pull-up three to put the dagger in the L.A. comeback.
"He hurt us," admitted Walton. "He's a talented player and we know that. When we let him dance and get to his left, he hurt us. He had a big time game tonight. That's why this team has won six in a row. They have a lot of different guys that can hurt you."
LeBron James nearly had another triple-double, finishing with 36 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.
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"Our team is built on depth and energy, and for the last couple games we haven't had our depth," James told the media, referring to injuries to Rajon Rondo, Brandon Ingram and JaVale McGee.
Lonzo Ball had a season-high 23 points and Kyle Kuzma chipped in 22 points and 11 rebounds.
"We were trying to keep guys in front of us. We had a couple breakdowns," Kuzma told reporters. "We can't have breakdowns in the clutch like that, and it's our job to fix that for the next game."
Russell led the Nets with a team-high 22 points and 13 assists, but Spencer Dinwiddie (18), Joe Harris (19), Rondae Hollis Jefferson (17), DeMarre Carroll (13) and Jared Dudley (13) all scored in double-figures.
Brooklyn has now won an NBA-best six consecutive games, the first time they've accomplished such a streak since 2013.
Los Angeles continued to struggle from the free-throw line, shooting a paltry 56 percent from the charity stripe. They also struggled from beyond the arc, shooting 32 percent from three, compared to 41 percent for the Nets.
Brooklyn has scored 70 points in the first half in back-to-back games, but scored 62 points in the first half on Wednesday night.
Notes and Next
British singer and actress Cynthia Erivo forgot the words to the National Anthem and apologized via Twitter after the game, blaming the mishap on nerves and fatigue.
Lakers center JaVale McGee missed his second consecutive game with the flu. Rajon Rondo (broken right hand) and Brandon Ingram (sprained left ankle) were recalled from the South Bay Lakers and are expected to practice with the team on Thursday.
The Lakers will host the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night at Staples Center.
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