Amid the distractions of the rumored/pending Carmelo trade, the Nets played pretty well Friday night in L.A. But once again, they just couldn't hang with the Lakers for a full 48 minutes, falling to the champs, 100-88, at Staples Center.
It was the Lakers' seventh straight win and their seventh straight win over the Nets.
The Lakers took control with an 8-0 run late in the second quarter, but the Nets hung around all game. An 8-0 run of their own got them within two with 9 1/2 minutes left in the fourth, but the Lakers immediately answered with a 9-0 run from which the Nets couldn't recover.
Brook Lopez had arguably his best game of the season, leading all scorers with 35 points on 13-of-19 shooting and completely outplaying Andrew Bynum. The other four Nets starters scored just 12 points total on 5-for-23 from the field, but former Lakers Sasha Vujacic (17) and Jordan Farmar (12) combined for 29 points off the bench. Kris Humphries grabbed 15 rebounds, but made just three of his 12 shots. Devin Harris dished out eight assists, but also had seven turnovers and shot 2-for-8.
At one point, Avery Johnson played the five healthy players who would survive the trade: Lopez, Vujacic, Farmar, Humphries and Travis Outlaw.
- Boxscore - NBA.com
- First Half Highlights (Video) - NBA.com
- Lakers hold off Nets for 7th straight win - Greg Beacham - AP
- Lakers-Nets notebook - Bryan Chu - NBA.com
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Lakers 100, Nets 88: At the buzzer - Brian Kamenetzky - ESPN Los Angeles
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Nets lose to Lakers, 100-88, despite 35 points from Brook Lopez - Colin Stephenson - Star-Ledger
- Farmar receives Lakers championship ring - Colin Stephenson - Star-Ledger
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Lakers, Jackson rip woeful New Jersey - Fred Kerber - New York Post
- Kobe Bryant and Los Angeles Lakers stomp New Jersey Nets, 100-88 - Stefan Bondy - New York Daily News
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Lopez stands tall in latest Nets' loss - Al Iannazzone - The Nets Insider
- Pre-Game: Avery Johnson Interview (Video) - Jessica Taff - YES Network
- Post-Game Plus (Video) - Gordon Damer - YES Network
- Avery Johnson Press Conference (Video) - YES Network
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From the Booth (Video) - Marv Albert & Mike Fratello - YES Network
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Phil Jackson calls the Nets a team with no identity and takes a shot at Newark - Stefan Bondy - The InterNets
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Lakers get past Nets and former teammates Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic - Mike Bresnahan - Los Angeles Times
- Lakers vs. New Jersey: Lakers roll by Nets for seventh win in a row - Broderick Turner - Los Angeles Times
- Lakers FYI: Nets' Sasha Vujacic plays against Lakers for the first time - Broderick Turner - Los Angeles Times
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Lakers' 100-88 victory over New Jersey Nets concludes easier portion of schedule - Mike Medina - Los Angeles Times
- Lakers win seventh in a row - Janis Carr - Orange County Register
- Vujacic gets view from other side - Janis Carr - Orange County Register
- Video: Lakers host homecoming for Farmar and Vujacic - Jonathan Khamis - Orange County Register
- Lakers win 7th in row despite Lopez - David Lassen - Riverside Press-Enterprise
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Lakers get past Nets and former teammates Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic - David Lassen - Riverside Press-Enterprise
- Lakers are halfway home - Elliot Teaford - Torrance Daily Breeze
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Farmar, Vujacic find homecoming has nice ring to it - Elliot Teaford - Torrance Daily Breeze