Many watched Saturday night’s Nets-Lakers clash as a preview of the NBA Finals. But this bore no resemblance to championship basketball.
When the teams gave a tip, three superstars were already missing. A fourth threw itself aside when Kyrie Irving was dismissed early in the third quarter. And by the time it was over, what was left of the defending champion Lakers beat what was left of the Nets, 126-101, before 1773 disappointed fans at Barclays Center.
The league’s officers have been scrutinized from time to time this season, and it will be again after Irving and Lakers point guard Dennis Schroder were both ejected for the first time in a combined 18 NBA campaigns. about what seemed to be nothing more than typical dishonest jaws to each other.
Kevin Durant led the Nets with 22 points and the ejected Irving scored 18 in 21 minutes. But that wasn’t the only reason the Nets (36-17) lost it. They did not need any help from the officials for that. All they have to do is look in the mirror for the cause of this defeat.
The Nets played without MVP candidate James Harden, knocked out with a pulled hamstring. But they faced a Lakers team that missed not only superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but Kyle Kuzma and Marc Gasol.
It didn’t matter: the salesman Andre Drummond was enough for the Lakers.
“That would be a great challenge for us [facing them healthy], ”Said Nets coach Steve Nash. “Obviously adding Andre gives them size and an excellent center, but at the same time I think the reason the Lakers were champions last year is because AD is the best small ball center and LeBron the best small ball. four, at least. in last year’s playoff run.
“I think it just gives them options and depth and one more facet. If they want to grow up, they have another man who can do a lot of things in the middle. Choose your poison. They would be very formidable with the smaller version of their frontcourt or the big one. “
There was much lamentation from the general managers of the small market when the Nets entered the buyout market to get big men LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin off the ground. But Griffin finished with just two points, while Aldridge was bullied by Drummond for much of the night (20 points, 11 rebounds).
Drummond was so physically dominant that Nash tried to avoid even using a resilient but spindly young Nic Claxton on him. And while the opportunity seemed to prompt DeAndre Jordan, the 6-foot-11, 265-pounder remained out of rotation and on the bench for the fifth game in a row.
The Nets allowed 50.5 percent shooting – 19-for-34 from a 3-point range – and eight Lakers scored in double figures, including Schroder, who had 19 in just 20 minutes.
The Nets were largely played out from the start, falling behind 11-2 after a Schroder 3-pointer with 9:33 left in the first quarter.
Drummond isolated on Aldridge, teasing his way in to take the Lakers’ lead to 18-7. The Lakers hit seven of their first eight – 3-of-4 from deep – and the tone was set for the rest of the night by a team that wasn’t looking ahead.
“To be honest, my mindset is to try to win [Saturday’s]) game, really. It’s just that, ”said Lakers coach Frank Vogel. “We’re not looking down the road.”
At one point, Drummond fought four Nets for a rebound, and Irving even shot in to make it five-to-one. Regardless of. Drummond still held it, as the nets were knocked to the boards early on.
With the Nets down 49-39 in the middle of the second quarter, they grabbed a run of 17-3 to take the lead. A Durant put-back tied it at 52-all with four minutes left in the half.
Durant crossed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and dipped over Drummond to put the Nets in charge. That made Durant’s mother, Wanda, cheer in the front row. Aldridge covered the point and gave the Nets a 56-52 lead.
They couldn’t hold it.
With the Nets behind with only 66-62 and 9:41 left in the third, Irving and Schroder began to jaw at each other and both were ejected.
On the way off the floor, Irving threw his jersey at the fans as he walked back to the locker room. He took every momentum the Nets had with him.
The Nets immediately gave up a 22-9 run, falling behind 88-71. It just kept growing from there in the fourth when the nets imploded.