Page 1 of 1

Game 9: 11/03/17 Nets at Lakers GAME THREAD

PostPosted: Fri Nov 03, 2017 7:22 am
by KobeMVP888
(3-5)Image at Image(3-5)

Friday, November 3, 2017, 7:30 PM PDT
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA

Referees: Ken Mauer (#41), Bennie Adams (#47), Dedric Taylor (#21)

Line: Lakers -2.5

Image

Image

GAME PREVIEW: NETS AT LAKERS


by NBA.com

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets are benefiting from their offseason trade, and they will get their first chance to compare their acquired assets on Friday night at Staples Center.

The Lakers sent 2015 second overall pick D'Angelo Russell and center Timofey Mozgov to the Nets in exchange for center Brook Lopez and Brooklyn's 2017 first-round draft selection. Los Angeles used that pick to draft forward Kyle Kuzma, who is easily the Lakers' biggest surprise so far.

Kuzma moved into the team lead at 15 points a game after scoring 22 in a 113-110 loss at the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night. The Lakers fell when Portland guard Damian Lillard sank a tiebreaking 3-pointer with less than a second remaining.

A 22-year-old out of the University of Utah, Kuzma is shooting 54.3 percent from the floor after making 10 of 17 attempts against the Blazers.

Two nights earlier, Kuzma made all four of his 3-point tries and scored 16 points off the bench in a 113-93 victory against the visiting Detroit Pistons.

Kuzma could see even more playing time after starting forward Larry Nance Jr. left the Thursday game with a fractured left hand. Nance is out indefinitely.

"The NBA space has really helped," Kuzma told the Deseret News. "Teams have to really respect my jumper, and I'm a mismatch at the four, so a lot of times I have slower guys on me and I can exploit that. I'm just comfortable all over the floor. It's been a pretty easy transition for the most part so far."

Russell has fit in nicely with the Nets. The shoot-first point guard is averaging a team-leading 21.7 points as well as 4.1 rebounds and five assists in seven games.

He will be counted on to help the Nets end a three-game losing streak that began after they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 25. The matchup against the Lakers will open a five-game road trip, matching Brooklyn's longest of the season.

"It's going to be an exciting crowd about my comeback," Russell said. "But it's really about winning for me. Starting off (the road trip) with a loss would be a tough one to stomach going into the next few games. So if we can get that first one, it would give us some intensity going into this road trip. ... I think I've gotten better over the summer, so I definitely want to go in there and showcase that, but it's about winning."

Lopez was drafted 10th overall by the Nets in 2008 and spent the past nine seasons with New Jersey/Brooklyn.

The 7-footer emerged as a 3-point threat with the Nets last season. He shot 34.6 percent on his 387 tries from long distance after making just 3 of 31 from 3-point range in his first eight seasons in the NBA. Lopez has yet to regain his stroke from deep this season, however, entering Friday 8 of 30 (26.7 percent).

He can still score, though. Lopez put up a team-high 27 points in the loss to the Trail Blazers.

Mozgov is averaging 4.8 points and 5.3 rebounds through eight games with the Nets.

Brooklyn most recently lost to the visiting Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night in a matchup of the two worst defensive teams this season.

The Nets (3-5) rank last in the NBA in points allowed at 118.8 a game. That is an area the Lakers have improved significantly since last season, when they finished 28th in the NBA at 111.5 points a game. Los Angeles (3-5) is 19th in the NBA at 107.4 points allowed per game.


http://www.nba.com/games/20171103/BKNLAL#/preview

Re: Game 9: 11/03/17 Nets at Lakers GAME THREAD

PostPosted: Fri Nov 03, 2017 3:29 pm
by 3Peatkb24
The return of D'Angelo Russell! Should be fun. I think we win this one but we may be fatigued after last nights track meet with Portland. I still love the trade by getting rid of him, we got rid of a guy who isn't a leader, we got rid of Mozgov's contract, and we acquired one of the best Centers in the league in Lopez who is only 29 years old. I also don't think he and Lonzo would've meshed well.

Re: Game 9: 11/03/17 Nets at Lakers GAME THREAD

PostPosted: Fri Nov 03, 2017 6:23 pm
by KobeMVP888
3Peatkb24 wrote:The return of D'Angelo Russell! Should be fun. I think we win this one but we may be fatigued after last nights track meet with Portland. I still love the trade by getting rid of him, we got rid of a guy who isn't a leader, we got rid of Mozgov's contract, and we acquired one of the best Centers in the league in Lopez who is only 29 years old. I also don't think he and Lonzo would've meshed well.


I agree. We will know whether this was a perfect trade this summer. It hinges on signing the first significant free agent since Ron Artest.


Re: Game 9: 11/03/17 Nets at Lakers GAME THREAD

PostPosted: Fri Nov 03, 2017 7:16 pm
by KobeMVP888

Re: Game 9: 11/03/17 Nets at Lakers GAME THREAD

PostPosted: Fri Nov 03, 2017 7:26 pm
by lakerevolution
Against the worst defense in the league, you know what the team needs to do -- attack inside, drain open looks, pick and roll, and hustle for every rebound. Ball movement and sharing will be rewarded with easy opportunities to score, and as long as our defense shows up, this should be a ticket-punch home win.

Put D'Angelo on the floor. :boxing:

Re: Game 9: 11/03/17 Nets at Lakers GAME THREAD

PostPosted: Fri Nov 03, 2017 7:34 pm
by 3Peatkb24
KobeMVP888 wrote:
3Peatkb24 wrote:The return of D'Angelo Russell! Should be fun. I think we win this one but we may be fatigued after last nights track meet with Portland. I still love the trade by getting rid of him, we got rid of a guy who isn't a leader, we got rid of Mozgov's contract, and we acquired one of the best Centers in the league in Lopez who is only 29 years old. I also don't think he and Lonzo would've meshed well.


I agree. We will know whether this was a perfect trade this summer. It hinges on signing the first significant free agent since Ron Artest.



The Nance news sucks but I love Kuzma so far and Randle is decent too. I think Magic will work his magic in the summer of 2018.

Re: Game 9: 11/03/17 Nets at Lakers GAME THREAD

PostPosted: Fri Nov 03, 2017 7:36 pm
by 3Peatkb24
lakerevolution wrote:Against the worst defense in the league, you know what the team needs to do -- attack inside, drain open looks, pick and roll, and hustle for every rebound. Ball movement and sharing will be rewarded with easy opportunities to score, and as long as our defense shows up, this should be a ticket-punch home win.

Put D'Angelo on the floor. :boxing:


This is a game we should win but we spent a ton of energy in Portland last night so who knows :shrug:

Re: Game 9: 11/03/17 Nets at Lakers GAME THREAD

PostPosted: Fri Nov 03, 2017 8:27 pm
by KobeMVP888
Never mind the gift of Kyle Kuzma, I am loving Brandon Ingram's progress. Next season he will be so legit! We have much to look forward to, brethren. A part of me would rather see us keep Julius and Clarkson and sign one star. I defer to Magic and Rob though.

Re: Game 9: 11/03/17 Nets at Lakers GAME THREAD

PostPosted: Fri Nov 03, 2017 8:29 pm
by 3Peatkb24
KobeMVP888 wrote:Never mind the gift of Kyle Kuzma, I am loving Brandon Ingram's progress. Next season he will be so legit! We have much to look forward to, brethren. A part of me would rather see us keep Julius and Clarkson and sign one star. I defer to Magic and Rob though.


Yeah we are up 53-42 now, Kuzma is the steal of the Draft, he can flat out play!

Re: Game 9: 11/03/17 Nets at Lakers GAME THREAD

PostPosted: Fri Nov 03, 2017 8:37 pm
by 3Peatkb24
Kuzma is dominating this game, what a Draft pick he was! My lord what a finger roll! Lakers up 61-51

Re: Game 9: 11/03/17 Nets at Lakers GAME THREAD

PostPosted: Fri Nov 03, 2017 8:41 pm
by 3Peatkb24
Great 1st Half, Lakers up 64-55. Kuzma with 17 already.

Re: Game 9: 11/03/17 Nets at Lakers GAME THREAD

PostPosted: Fri Nov 03, 2017 10:10 pm
by 3Peatkb24
Lakers win 124-112. Lopez scores 34!

Re: Game 9: 11/03/17 Nets at Lakers GAME THREAD

PostPosted: Sat Nov 04, 2017 1:46 pm
by KobeMVP888
The Trade:

Russell + Mozgov = 22 pts on 10-28 (1-10 from downtown), 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 TO

Lopez + Kuzma = 55 pts on 21 - 34 (7-12 from downtown), 23 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 TO

Re: Game 9: 11/03/17 Nets at Lakers GAME THREAD

PostPosted: Sat Nov 04, 2017 4:36 pm
by lakerevolution
KobeMVP888 wrote:The Trade:

Russell + Mozgov = 22 pts on 10-28 (1-10 from downtown), 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 TO

Lopez + Kuzma = 55 pts on 21 - 34 (7-12 from downtown), 23 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 TO


KCP didn't really contribute, but wow this team IS (should be) a .500 or better team! Great shared output (no Lonzo) and well-rounded performance! Health and good FG% are all we need to be a threat for the 7th ir 8th seed when February rolls around. A good couple of climbs up the rung . . still nowhere near where we will be.

Re: Game 9: 11/03/17 Nets at Lakers GAME THREAD

PostPosted: Sat Nov 04, 2017 4:36 pm
by 3Peatkb24
KobeMVP888 wrote:The Trade:

Russell + Mozgov = 22 pts on 10-28 (1-10 from downtown), 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 TO

Lopez + Kuzma = 55 pts on 21 - 34 (7-12 from downtown), 23 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 TO


Yep. Lopez is Very Good, he's the best pure Center we have had since Bynum and he's only 29. I consider Pau a PF. Lopez is better than Dwight that is for sure. Kuzma is the steal of the Draft.