LOS ANGELES — The Nets faced a gut check.
And I finally found the courage to do it.
Brooklyn snapped its worst slump of the season, at least temporarily, with a stunning 130-112 upset victory over the Lakers before a packed crowd of 18,997 at Crypto.com Arena.
“I don't think it's taken effort for our group so far. It's a challenge for our group to stay mentally tough throughout the game,” Vaughn said beforehand. “And there will be ups and downs, so there will be plenty of opportunities.”
The team finally won the game, led by Cam Thomas' game-high 33 points off the bench.
He led the offense, shooting 52.6 percent overall and 19 of 47 from deep.
Entering the midway point of the season, the Nets (17-24) have lost 14 of their past 17 games, knocking them out of the Eastern Conference playoff race as well as the play-in.
Concerns have shifted from rankings to just sticking together to avoid the fractures and blame that come with a team playing this badly.
The first half of the season was such a struggle that even Mikal Bridges would have to sum it up with a four-letter word.
“I would say poor. Very poor by our expectations and standards,” Bridges admitted. “I thought it was going to be better. We were doing well at one point and going in the right direction. Obviously we didn't do well at the beginning, but then we started going in the right direction and then it went downhill. So I would say they are poor.”
Then Friday came. When they exchanged the poor for the perfect.
The Nets overturned a 12-point deficit and fought back with an impressive 29-11 run in the third quarter, defeating LeBron James, Anthony Davis and others.
Yes, Thomas turned the tide and became the youngest Net to hit 30 against the Lakers since Keith Van Horn in 1998. Center Nick Claxton added 22 points and a game-high 14 rebounds to keep Davis from breaking up the game.
But don't get me wrong, this was a complete team effort.
Then, seeing their own defense fail, the Nets were fired up.
“For sure,” Lonnie Walker IV said. “We know what we're capable of, so it can be really frustrating when we don't live up to that ability sometimes. And that starts with just being responsible and holding each other accountable.” Masu.”
After losing four straight and nine of 10 games (and only one win against a team other than Detroit since Dec. 13), the Nets are looking in the mirror and finally seeing what's staring back at them. Looks like he decided to do something about it.
Or, more appropriately, they took a hard look at the film and modified what they had previously seen.
James' and-one (24 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists) put Brooklyn up 56-44 midway through the second quarter.
Less than a minute into the second half, Davis' midrange jumper (26 points, 12 rebounds) meant they were still trailing 70-64.
But then, the Nets went on a 29-11 run that included nine unanswered points and were able to change the game.
Brooklyn defeated the Lakers 68-44 after the break, tying the record for fewest points conceded in the second half of the season.
Spencer Dinwiddie (19 points) made a 3-pointer off a feed from Mikal Bridges with 3:24 remaining to give the Nets a 93-81 lead.
In the fourth inning, they built a lead of 23 points.
“I have to try to start the game very efficiently and with a very high performance so that I can adjust how I fit and influence my teammates,” Thomas said. said. “I feel like when you get off to a good start, there's good energy and it gets everyone going. So I have to find a way to contain it.”
Mission complete.
They return to Crypto.com Arena to face a well-rested Clippers and former Net James Harden in Sunday's matinee.
