The Los Angeles Lakers recently hosted a head-to-head battle against the Brooklyn Nets this past Saturday, December 25, 2021, one of the annual Christmas day games. Taking place at the Staples Center in the heart of Los Angeles, California, James Harden and the Nets came into the house of the Lakers, before swiftly leaving and boosting their record to 22-9 for the 2021-2022 season; they defeated Los Angeles in a hard-earned 122-115 victory. Both teams were coincidentally down one all-star being Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant and the Lakers’ Anthony Davis, making somewhat more of a fair battle for the two superteams.
Brooklyn’s newest go-to guard, James Harden, took the initiative to put the team on his back, playing a total of 39 minutes on the floor and earning himself a triple-double that consists of 36 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds. Aiding his teammate in his squad’s overall victory on Saturday night, Patty Mills managed to put up an impressive 34-point, 7-assist, and 2-rebound game, boosting his team’s confidence and momentum moving forward in the season. The Nets now continue their reign over the Eastern Conference as they still hold the No. 1 spot on the east coast, just above the Chicago Bulls and last year’s Conference Finals champions, the Milwaukee Bucks.
As for Los Angeles’ side of the game, Lebron James and his team seemed to have just been out of rhythm during this match as individual players struggled to find their groove throughout the night. Lebron contributed a total of 39 points, 7 assists, and 9 rebounds in his squad’s hard-fought match, while Russell Westbrook also put impressive numbers on the board. He earned himself another triple-double for his career that embodied 13 points, 11 assists, and 12 rebounds over the course of 37 minutes of action, however, Westbrook was transparently one of the athletes for the Lakers who was having a difficult time putting the ball into the basket. The Los Angeles Lakers now hold an uneasy 16-18 season record as they look to focus their attention towards their next match against the Houston Rockets this upcoming Tuesday, December 14.