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Mirza Teletovic, Alan Anderson lead comeback, but it wasn't enough as the Lakers beat the Nets, 99-94

By Tom Lorenzo
Maddie Meyer

BROOKLYN - Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Andrei Kirilenko lead the list of players not active in this one, but as Lakers' head coach said before the game, both teams are "fighting for their lives."

Brooklyn was coming off what turned out to be a hard-fought game in Toronto the night prior, picking up just their fourth win in 14 games and their first victory in five games. Both teams entered this one injured and struggling, but the Nets were hoping their momentum from their win the night before would carry over.

It was the Lakers, though, who came out hot, hitting their first four of their first five shots, three of which were from beyond the arc. Two minutes into the game the Lakers had an 11-2 lead, timeout Brooklyn.

The timeout didn't help, much, as the Nets looked more and more frustrated as they were out-worked by the Lakers. Joe Johnson once again had the hot hand early, scoring nine straight points for the Nets and keeping them in this one. Defensively, though, Brooklyn couldn't get stops. Pau Gasol and the Lakers answered on every Nets make.

Los Angeles took a 34-18 lead into the second quarter. The Nets had a lot of work to do to get back into this one.

Well, Jordan Farmar came out firing, making sure the Nets weren't going to work their way back into this one, hitting back-to-back threes and giving the Lakers a 25-point lead two minutes into the second quarter. Alan Anderson did his best to shoot the Nets back into this one, but they still had a long way to go before it even become a respectable, let along winnable game.

A quick 15-0 run in the middle of the second quarter helped to cut the lead to 12, 48-36, but the two teams essentially traded buckets from there, but the Lakers taking a 54-40 lead into the half.

Nets cut the lead early in the third to nine points, after a Mason Plumlee dunk, giving them some daylight, but the Lakers responded with four straight. Timeout, Brooklyn.

Nets responded out of the timeout, with some nice energy from Tyshawn Taylor and a few young man's possessions out of Paul Pierce. They were able to get as close as seven points at about the midway mark in the quarter. Baby steps.

On a scary note, as the Nets were trying to fight back, Andray Blatche rolled his ankle and limped off the court. Just what the Nets didn't need, another injured player. Kidd called a timeout, as Blatche limped off the court after a made and-one. Blatche returned to the game.

The bench brought some nice energy in the third quarter and, believe it or not, the Nets won their second consecutive third quarter, this time 28-23. They trailed, though, heading into the fourth, 77-68.

Mirza Teletovic opens the fourth by hitting a three and cutting the lead to six points. The lineup of Tyshawn Taylor, Alan Anderson, Paul Pierce, Mirza Teletovic and Mason Plumlee started the fourth and was playing like the Nets' only hope to pull this one off.

Imagine that.

The game went back and forth for most of the fourth quarter. Each time the Lakers tried to make a run, the Nets would respond. Teletovic, Pierce, Anderson, Plumlee and, this time, Joe Johnson, again, were carrying this team. Teletovic hits two free throws at the 7-minute mark, followed by two free throws from Plumlee to pull the Nets to within two points.

Kidd kept Mirza and Anderson in the game, bringing in Kevin Garnett to give Plumlee some well-deserved rest. And after Mirza nailed a three, made a block and then hit a free-throw, the Nets, once down by 27 points, were tied with the Lakers, 92-92, with 3:45 to play.

Paul Pierce had a turnover at the halfcourt line with under a 1:30 to play that led to a wide-open dunk from Johnson, putting the Lakers up two.

From there, the Nets went on a 3-plus minute scoreless streak, and couldn't get over the hump after climbing all the way back from down 27 points. Good effort, but too little, too late. They fell to the Lakers, after putting up a late fight, 99-94.

Mirza scored a season-high 17 points and five rebounds in 22 minutes, while Anderson went for 14 points and Plumlee finished with six points and four rebounds in 21 minutes.

For more on the Lakers see: Silver Screen and Roll

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