Field Level Media
Dec 18, 2018
D'Angelo Russell collected 22 points and a career-high-tying 13 assists as the Brooklyn Nets overcame 36 points from LeBron James on Tuesday night and ran their season-high winning streak to six games by holding on for a 115-110 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers.
Facing his former team for the third time since being acquired by Brooklyn on draft night in 2017, Russell posted his second double-double of the season.
The guard hit 9 of 21 shots, including a clutch 3-pointer from the top of the key over Kyle Kuzma with 22 seconds left to put Brooklyn ahead 113-107.
Then the Nets held on as James made a step-back 3-pointer from the left corner while nearly falling out of bounds five seconds later with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson draped all over him.
Hollis-Jefferson split a pair at the line with 15 seconds left, and James fired an airball on a 3-point attempt with 10 seconds left. With 8.7 seconds left, Hollis-Jefferson split two more free throws, and James missed a 3-pointer with five seconds left.
Joe Harris added 19 points, reserve Spencer Dinwiddie contributed 18 and Hollis-Jefferson finished with 17 as the Nets shot 48.4 percent and won a sixth straight game for the first time since April 3, 2015.
James nearly posted his third triple-double as a Laker and 76th of his career as he finished with 13 rebounds to go along with eight assists.
Lonzo Ball hit five 3-pointers and contributed 23 points before fouling out as Los Angeles shot 46.7 percent but made only 13 of 40 3-point attempts. Kuzma contributed 22 points and 11 rebounds as the Lakers lost for the third time in four games.
Before holding on, the Nets took a 100-87 on a basket by Jared Dudley with 7 1/2 minutes left, but James capped a 10-0 run by hitting consecutive layups nearly two minutes later.
The Nets took a 104-97 lead on a layup by Dinwiddie about a minute later, but a 3-pointer by Kuzma made it 104-102 with 3:55 left. Brooklyn's lead was down to 108-105 when Ball hit a 3-pointer with 74 seconds left, but the Nets answered on the next possession when Dudley hit a long jumper in front of the Los Angeles bench with 53 seconds remaining.
After a timeout, James converted the putback of his own miss to make it 110-107 with 42 seconds to go, setting up Russell's dramatic shot.
--Field Level Media