"The Nets looked flat, disconnected and late to everything early. Luka Dončić took control from the opening tip, getting to his spots at will and scoring 14 points in his first nine minutes as the Lakers shot 83.3% in the first quarter, going 15-for-18. Brooklyn couldn't keep Jaxson Hayes off the rim, couldn't slow the ball in transition and couldn't stay out of foul trouble."
"Then it became LeBron James' turn to take over. James opened the quarter by powering through Porter at the rim. Minutes later, Jarred Vanderbilt stripped Drake Powell, pushed the ball ahead to Austin Reaves and watched Reaves lob it off the glass to James, igniting the Lakers-heavy crowd. James wasn't finished. He picked off a Porter pass near midcourt, glided to the rim uncontested and hammered home his trademark tomahawk dunk at the 8:18 mark, forcing a Nets timeout as the lead ballooned to 28."
"The last act before James sat was a mistimed lob that still ended with a soft fadeaway over Danny Wolf, one of those shots that made it feel like the clock had rolled back. James scored only eight points in the quarter, but the Lakers led by 32 when he checked out with 6:41 left in the half. Brooklyn went to the locker room down 29."
Brooklyn lost 125-109 to the Los Angeles Lakers, marking a second blowout in two games and slipping to 13-36. The Nets fell behind by as many as 39 points after a sluggish start and defensive breakdowns. The Lakers shot 83.3% in the first quarter while Luka Dončić scored 14 points in nine minutes. Brooklyn struggled to stop rim runs, transition offense and fell into foul trouble. LeBron James provided decisive sequences with powerful finishes, a steal and a tomahawk dunk, and the Lakers led by 32 at halftime.
Read at New York Daily News
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