Nets send Lakers to 8th straight loss, 107-97
NEW YORK (AP) — When Larry Nance Jr. kept climbing until he had all but jumped over Brook Lopez for an electrifying dunk late in the third quarter, the Lakers looked ready to overcome any obstacles standing in their way.
Then the Brooklyn Nets made sure that was about the final highlight for Los Angeles.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 23 points, Sean Kilpatrick had 22 and the Nets sent the Lakers to their eighth straight loss with a 107-97 victory Wednesday night.
Nance’s dunk came near the end of the Lakers’ 33-point third period, but they managed just seven baskets in the fourth — none over the final 6-plus minutes.
“Our offense kind of hit a wall,” Nance said.
Lopez added 20 points for the Nets, who played without Jeremy Lin again but avoided a third consecutive defeat. Trevor Booker grabbed a season-high 18 rebounds and helped key Brooklyn’s rare fourth-quarter defensive stand.
“I think if we’re going to take a step that’s where we need to take a step, is defensively,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I was very pleased.”
Lou Williams scored 16 points for the Lakers, who have fallen from a .500 team early in Luke Walton’s first season as coach to one that is 10-18. They shot 38.5 percent from the field and were dismal as well from 3-point range (22 percent) and the free throw line (61.8).
“As…