Nets bust out of funk with convincing road win over Lakers – New York Post

LOS ANGELES — The Nets faced a gut check.

And finally found those guts.

Brooklyn earned a stunning come-from-behind 130-112 victory over the Lakers before a sellout crowd of 18,997 at Crypto.com Arena.

Brooklyn earned a stunning come-from-behind 130-112 victory against the Lakers before a sellout crowd of 18,997 at Crypto.com Arena.

It was one that — at least temporarily — broke their worst slump of the season. 

The Nets (17-24) came in having dropped 14 of their last 17, and dropped right out of not just the Eastern Conference playoff race but out of even the play-in.

That is, until Cam Thomas poured in a game-high 33 points off the bench, punishing the Lakers’ drop coverage and drawing double teams.

And a team that has turned blowing late leads into an art form used a 29-11 third-quarter run to turn a 12-point hole into a win that was as necessary as it was unexpected.

“Everything was positive in the second half. I’m just happy we finally got the win. That’s the main thing. We got the win,” Thomas said with a Cheshire Cat grin.

“I grew up grew up being a Lakers fan; like, diehard Lakers fan, Kobe (Bryant) fan. So it’s always good to come in here and have a good game or play against them and have a good game. So it always means a little something.”

The 22-year-old Thomas had a great one, becoming the youngest Net to crack 30 against the Lakers since 1998. He came off the bench and changed the game — and their downward tumble.

“That boy good,” marveled Dennis Smith Jr.

But it was a team effort.

The Nets shot .526 overall and 19-of-47 from deep. And more important, they stood up physically against the much bigger Lakers (21-22).

At least in the second half. After trailing by 12 points in the first, Jacque Vaughn made the Nets watch a clip of themselves defending.

Not a single player had a hand on a Laker.

“We talked about how we want to play the post in the second half. There was a one pick-and-roll clip where I paused it and all five guys wasn’t touching the purple jersey,” said Vaughn. “That can’t be how we play. We have to touch somebody and be OK with it. And our guys responded by doing that and second half.”

Brooklyn blitzed the Lakers 68-44 after intermission, matching the fewest points they’ve allowed in a second half this season and spurred by what they saw.

“For sure. We know what we’re capable of doing,” Lonnie Walker IV said. “So sometimes when we don’t play to that capability, it sure as hell bothers us. And it just starts with just being accountable holding each other accountable.”

“He was really honest about just being more physical and showing us clips about that. I take that personal because I hang my hat on defense. And we all we all rallied behind that in the second half for sure,” said Nic Claxton, who had 22 points and 14 rebounds to keep Anthony Davis from wrecking the game.

LeBron James (24 points, 11 boards and five assists) put the Nets in a 56-44 hole midway through the second quarter on an and-one.

They were still down 70-64 on a midrange jumper by Davis (26 points, 12 rebounds) less than a minute into the second half.

But that’s when Brooklyn mounted that 29-11 run — including nine unanswered points — to change the game.

Spencer Dinwiddie (19 points) capped it with a 3-pointer off a Mikal Bridges feed to give the Nets a 93-81 lead with 3:24 left in the third. 

They built it to 23 in the fourth, behind Thomas.

“Just really just go on dominate, play my game,” Thomas said. “Don’t overthink it.”

The Nets trailed 74-71 on a James layup with 8:58 left in the third before Brooklyn scored nine straight, capped by a Claxton layup and flex. Brooklyn led by six, and were off to the races.

They return to Crypto.com Arena for a Sunday matinee against the well-rested Clippers, and ex-Net James Harden.