The Nets are an unserious basketball team and the Lakers took care of them quickly on Tuesday night. LA immediately got out in front and had twice as many points as Brooklyn had in the opening quarter.
By halftime, the Lakers had 69 points, and this contest was over.
So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
30 minutes, 25 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 10-16 FG, 0-3 3PT, 5-7 FT, +24
If this was LeBron’s last dance in Brooklyn, it was a wonderful waltz. He had some monster jams and dominated, especially in the first half.
Thanks to James’ dominance, the crowd was cheering for the Lakers as if it were a home game.
29 minutes, 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 5 turnovers, 1 foul, 8-18 FG, 4-11 3PT, 4-6FT, +19
Luka, who was named the Western Conference Player of the Month earlier on Tuesday, continues his elite 2026 with another solid performance on the road.
He came out aggressive with 14 points in the opening quarter and had some mesmerizing passes, including a no-look dime to Deandre Ayton.
28 minutes, 7 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 3-5 FG, 1-2 FT, +16
Ayton wasn’t as aggressive in this game, but it also wasn’t really needed. He took only a handful of shots and converted most of them.
18 minutes, 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 3-5 FG, 0-2 3PT, +30
Smart got a little trigger-happy in this game. With the result secured, the shot-chucking was less concerning than it typically can be.
22 minutes, 18 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 7-9 FG, 1-2 3PT, 3-6 FT, +10
LaRavia started this game but was relegated to the bench to start the third quarter, with Austin Reaves back. Against the Nets, he was good, but a reserve role should be his position moving forward.
15 minutes, 9 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3-3 FG, 3-4 FT, +8
Hayes was a bulldozer during his early shifts, just stuffing the ball in the hoop repeatedly. These kinds of plays are why he will be a participant in the Dunk Contest.
21 minutes, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 3-9 FG, 1-5 3PT, 8-10 FT, +10
Reaves was noticeably rusty in his return, but that is expected. He’s going to be just fine, and the fact that he is back is the most important aspect of this game.
26 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2-3 FG, 1-2 3PT, -1
Hachimura got virtually no looks in this game. In other matchups, he has to be more involved in the offense. This was an unserious game, so less of an immediate concern and more something the team has to get right moving forward.
19 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2-3 FG, 0-1 3PT, 2-4 FT, +4
Okay defense and shooting from Vando in this one. It’ll be interesting to see if Lakers head coach JJ Redick keeps him in the rotation once Reaves is fully back and not on a minutes restriction.
16 minutes, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals, 0-3 FG, 0-2 3PT, -9
When Vincent doesn’t score, it’s really hard to justify playing him. It might be time for him to take a seat.
Drew Timme, Dalton Knecht, Maxi Kleber, Bronny James
None of these players were in the game for 10-plus minutes, so they will not be getting a grade.
Redick had the Lakers ready to dominate, and they took care of business early. It’s still annoying to see the Lakers have another third quarter where they got outscored, but you can kind of give them a pass in this instance.
Tuesday’s inactives: Adou Thiero, Chris Mañon, Nick Smith Jr.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
