NBA: Lakers shine in Saturday's NBA Finals "preview" against the Nets
New York, New York - The Brooklyn Nets played host to the defending champion LA Lakers on Saturday night, in a matchup that could be a dressed rehearsal for the 2021 NBA title showdown.
The Lakers played like the champions they are Saturday night as they came into Barclays Center in Brooklyn and completely owned the Nets.
Brooklyn was practically run off its own court, losing 126-101. The game didn't disappoint, despite both teams missing key players from their respective lineups, which left their benches and role-players opportunities to shine.
LeBron James (36) and Anthony Davis (28) are still nursing injuries for the Lakers, while James Harden (31) has also been out for Brooklyn.
Andre Drummond, still getting his feet wet as a Laker, led his team with 20 points and 11 rebounds. And Dennis Schroder also contributed with 19 points and 4 assists, before he was ejected after a war of words with Kyrie Irving of the Nets, who could only muster 18 points and 4 rebounds by the time he also got tossed from the game.
Kevin Durant continued his long-awaited comeback for the Nets with 22 points and 7 rebounds.
The Lakers are back on Monday night in Manhattan against the Knicks, and the Nets head out to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves, also on Monday.
Around The NBA
The Raptors blew up for 135 against the Cavs' 115, with Gary Trent, Jr. scoring 44 points for Toronto.
The 76ers got back in the win column with a 117-93 win over the Thunder. And the Utah Jazz are still tops in the NBA standings, winning against the Kings 128-112.
Stephen Curry's 38 points helped his Warriors get a big win, beating the Rockets 125-109.
The Suns smashed the Wizards 134-106, despite another triple-double from Russell Westbrook. He put up 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 14 assists in a losing effort.
The Blazers took care of the Pistons 118-103, with Enes Kanter scoring 24 points and pulling down 30 rebounds.
The Celtics and Nuggets play Sunday afternoon, and the Raptors are in New York, to face the Knicks, at night.
Cover photo: IMAGO / UPI Photo