LOS ANGELES — At least this time, the Nets showed some heart.
But they had it broken, falling 102-101 to the Lakers, aided by some endgame heroics from LeBron James and Austin Reaves before a crowd of 18,473 at Crypto.com Arena.
Brooklyn had clawed and defended its way into an 88-all tie roughly midway through the fourth after Ben Simmons found Noah Clowney for a 3-pointer with 6:32 to play.
But they watched as the game was snatched from them.
They gave up an 9-2 run that essentially ended it. James hit Reaves for a jumper that capped the blitz and made it 97-90. The clock read 4:32 left, but the game essentially was over.
The Nets got within 102-101 on a Clowney 3 and had one last chance.
But D’Angelo Russell — who was returning to face the team that traded him to Brooklyn on Dec. 29 — missed a fadeaway 3-pointer just wide.
The Nets (14-28) have dropped seven of eight, and 10 of their past 12.
None had been more embarrassing than Wednesday’s 126-67 loss at the Clippers.
The Nets trailed by 64 at one point, and the final margin was the worst in franchise history and among the bottom 10 all time in the NBA. They put that in their rearview and responded against the Lakers. They just weren’t good enough.
“Obviously that’s not where we are or who we want to display. So just come out trying to respond and get a win,” Russell said of Wednesday’s loss. “Just play hard. I think our group, that’s not something we’ve got to be coached into doing is playing hard. We’ve got a bunch of hard-working guys. So just go out there no matter who we play or who’s playing on their team, just attack them like it’s just another guy or team we’re playing.”
The Nets traded Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to the Lakers on Dec. 29 for Rusell and three second-round picks.
While Finney-Smith didn’t get to face his former team — out for the birth of his son — Russell got his chance.
And he made the most of it with 19 points, eight assists and six boards off the bench.
“It’s exciting. It’s exciting. I’m excited to be on this side, you know, attacking those guys,” Russell said before the loss about the prospect of facing the Lakers. “[My Lakers stint] was just a blur. I think coming in, I was locked into what I had to achieve personally to be there. To not be there now obviously is something that you try to get over and you just try to move past. But that is a place that I’ve been there twice. There’s a home for me there. For myself, I feel like that’s a part of my career that, you know, something can really take back. So I appreciate it. And I’m just looking forward to moving on.”
James had 29 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, while Reaves had a career-high 38.
“We’ve been a team that always responded, right? It’s an NBA season, 82 games, there are some up and downs. And obviously not to find excuses, but you have a bad game and all you can do is come together, work and then come back and be better,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said before the loss. “We had a rough one, and also flushing it and supporting the guys, it’s important. And I love the group we have, the energy they have in the day to day, some things that you guys cannot see.
“But I think it reflects on the court how we’ve competed and fought and got better. … And I know how I feel, especially when you’re younger. So, I know the guys are ready, and like I said before, all these experiences we’ve had so far, the group has always responded in a positive way.”
It was positive. It just wasn’t enough.
