In the Lakers’ first game after losing LeBron James to a strained groin, the Brooklyn Nets held Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to an abysmal 11-of-39 (28%) combined from the field.
Doncic’s performance wasn’t exactly pedestrian — 22 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists — but the Nets still kept to him 8-of-26 overall. Reaves added 17 points but only hit 3-of-14.
Second-year forward Noah Clowney led the way for Brooklyn with 19 points in the 111-108 win over Los Angeles, contributing the game-sealing dunk in a thriller at Barclays Center. Cam Johnson and Keon Johnson each added 18 points, ending a seven-game losing streak and dropping the Lakers to 40-23.
edge-of-your-seat type excitement! pic.twitter.com/Ms0fJ2dvXG
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 11, 2025
When the Nets lean into this new defensive identity, head coach Jordi Fernandez finds ways to make Brooklyn a tough out for anyone, regardless of who plays on either side.
Nets NBA Draft Lottery position
This Nets win against Los Angeles left them tied with Philadelphia for the sixth-best odds (8.2%) to win the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery. Brooklyn also has a 34.5 percent chance of landing a top-four selection, only one game back from top-five lottery odds.
Monday night was certainly a missed opportunity to drop the Lakers game and pass both the 76ers and Toronto in this tankathon. Washington, Utah, Charlotte and New Orleans, of course, still hold down top spots in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes.
LeBron James injury status
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Sunday, March 9, that James is expected to be out for up to two weeks with a groin strain. Lakers head coach JJ Redick noted before the Nets matchup that Los Angeles is still determining exactly how long James will remain sidelined.
Nets v. Lakers, last five games
- Jan. 30, 2023: Nets W, 121-104
- Jan. 19, 2024: Nets W, 130-112
- Mar. 31, 2024: Lakers W, 116-104
- Jan. 17, 2025: Lakers W, 102-101
- Mar. 10, 2025: Nets W, 111-108
Los Angeles leads this all-time series with the Nets, 70-31, though has split the last 24 matchups with Brooklyn at 12 each. Neither side has swept a season since the Nets did so during the 2018-19 campaign.
The Lakers managed to drop their latest head-to-head despite leading by as many as 15 points.
"All eyes are on JJ Redick and Luka Doncic. Let's see what you can do without LeBron James on the floor." 😳 @KendrickPerkins and @ShannonSharpe on the Lakers after their 111-108 loss to the Nets 👀 pic.twitter.com/oDJS3I8agn
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 11, 2025
Next, Brooklyn meets the league-leading Cavaliers on Tuesday, during a road trip that then heads to Chicago for a Thursday night contest with the Bulls. Nets World will be forced to wait until Mar. 15-16 for the next two-game homestand, which comes in the form of a weekend back-to-back against the Celtics and Hawks.