Luka Doncic scored 41 points and grabbed eight rebounds while picking up his 16th technical foul in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 116-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday at Crypto.com Arena. Austin Reaves added 26 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, helping the Lakers pull away late.
LeBron James contributed 14 points and eight assists as the Lakers extended their hot streak to 11 wins in 12 games. Los Angeles returned from a 5-1 road trip and improved to 48-26, solidifying their third-place position in the Western Conference.
The Nets were led by Josh Minott’s 18 points and six rebounds, while Nic Claxton and Ziaire Williams each scored 16. Brooklyn, struggling through its 10th straight loss, remained competitive until the final minutes, briefly holding a lead in the fourth quarter.
Doncic made five 3-pointers during his 15th 40-point game of the season but faced trouble when he and Williams received double technical fouls in the third quarter. The altercation came after Williams reacted physically to an offensive foul call against Doncic. Unless rescinded, Doncic faces a one-game suspension.
Bronny James played alongside his father for the second straight game, receiving the first father-son assist in NBA history on a 3-pointer in the second quarter. The young guard has earned rotation minutes recently due to Marcus Smart’s injury absence.
The Lakers shot 54% from the field, including 44% from three, while Brooklyn converted 42% of their shots and 26% from beyond the arc. Los Angeles also out-rebounded the Nets 48-39 and limited Brooklyn’s key starters in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
The Nets return home to face Sacramento on Sunday, while the Lakers host Washington on Monday after their first consecutive days off since the All-Star break.
