Here is what you need to know before the Lakers return home against the Brooklyn Nets. 1) KCP scorched last game The Lakers are hoping that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s hands are still hot from Tuesday, when the six-year vet poured in 35 points — second-most of his career. KCP went off in the second quarter, racking up 21 of his points. Yet he was effective throughout, shooting 12-of-20 from the field and 8-of-14 on 3-pointers. Caldwell-Pope worked for his shots, seemingly never stopping his movement until finding a pocket of space, though his bucket of the night was quite the opposite. A testament to how in the zone he was, KCP cooly stepped back to the halfcourt logo with time running out in the third quarter, and splashed a 30-foot buzzer-beater right in his defender’s face. 2) Matchup to watch: Point guard battles Brooklyn boasts one of the top point guard platoons in the league, headed by former Laker D’Angelo Russell, who has made a leap in his fourth season. The 23-year-old was named an all-star for the first time this year, thanks to a perimeter game that has sunk the NBA’s second-most jumpers. He is also on the verge of ranking among the top 10 in 3-pointers and assists. Meanwhile, L.A. native Spencer Dinwiddie is overqualified off the bench, providing the second-most points and assists among the league’s reserves. Defense will be the key for the Lakers in this battle. Rajon Rondo has averaged 11.4 points and 9.2 assists in 11 games since joining the starters, yet the Lakers may opt to have Reggie Bullock start their coverage on Russell. Meanwhile, two-way player Alex Caruso has shined defensively lately, with no shortage of technique, energy and toughness. 3) Brooklyn has all the momentum in the world For a second it looked like the Nets were going to enter this night on a four-game losing streak, as they trailed Sacramento by 28 late in the third quarter on Tuesday. What followed was the biggest comeback in franchise history. Russell went to a new level, dropping 27 of his career-high 44 points in the fourth quarter alone. And Brooklyn’s defense shut the Kings down in that frame, holding them to 18 points on 5-of-22 shooting. With the wind at their sails, the Nets are a dangerous crew. Along with their point guards, they feature NBA 3-point leader Joe Harris (46.4 percent); Jarrett Allen, who’s nearly top 10 in both field goal percentage and blocks; and former Laker Ed Davis, No. 2 in rebounds off the bench. Injury Report Lakers: LeBron James (sore left groin) is probable. Josh Hart (right knee tendinitis) and Lance Stephenson (left foot, second toe sprain) are questionable. Brandon Ingram (thoracic outlet decompression, right arm) and Lonzo Ball (left ankle sprain) are out. Nets: Allen Crabbe (sore right knee) is out. Theo Pinson, Dzanan Musa and Alan Williams are on G League assignment. Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. PT TV: Spectrum SportsNet Radio: 710 ESPN and 1330 KWKW Unis: Purple City Location: STAPLES Center — Los Angeles, California<doc-sep>Checkmate. (Or as DLo might say to his Kiwi GM this summer: Check, mate?) When the Lakers traded D’Angelo Russell in 2017, his name was trashed and his leadership was questioned. That same D’Angelo Russell left Staples Center on Friday, an All-Star leading the up-and-coming Brooklyn Nets into the playoffs. Something the Lakers cannot say. The star-studded return for Russell was nice and all, but the only thing that mattered was that they got a much-needed win against the Lakers. For the Nets, it was their second straight victory, 111-106, which puts them 2 1⁄ 2 games up in the standings at 38-36, and they eliminated the Lakers from playoff contention in the process, too. LeBron James hasn’t missed the postseason since 2005! Talk about poetic justice. Russell was in foul trouble most of the night and committed six turnovers, but he made winning plays on both sides of the ball, finishing the night with 21 points, 13 assists and three steals. He didn’t force his game or try and make any splash in his return. “It sounds good on paper (knocking the Lakers out), but we’re not competing against them for seeding. A win is good enough,” Russell said afterwards. He and the Nets led by as many as nine several times throughout the night, but they failed to take advantage. They led 102-99 when Russell hit Spencer Dinwiddie in the corner for a three-pointer and six-point Nets lead, 3:15 remaining. Then, on Joe Harris’ 26th point of the night, the Nets sealed an 11-2 run —107-99 lead. The Lakers never got it within three after that point. It wasn’t a pretty win by any means, but they got a crucial win — their second — on this brutal seven-game road-trip. In Kenny Atkinson’s words: “It wasn’t a Picasso.” The Nets couldn’t stop JaVale McGee. He finished with a career-high 33 points, 20 rebounds and six blocked shots. “He’s Joe Cool, he’s just got a cool demeanor about him,” Atkinson said after the game about DLo. “Confidence, cool... I don’t know what that is. I know I don’t have it, I’m a nervous guy. He’s just cool, doesn’t get fazed. He’s one of those guys who really enjoy the moment.” The key? Stopping LeBron James. He finished with a nice stat line of 25 points and 14 assists, but the Nets forced him to turn the ball over eight times and shoot just 8-of-25 from the field. DeMarre Carroll was vital in their defensive approach against LeBron — who turned the ball over with 22 seconds left in the game, down three. From there on out, the Nets sealed the deal at the line, namely Spencer Dinwiddie who scored seven of Brooklyn’s final nine points — 19 on the night. They shot 40 percent on the night and were out-rebounded by 12, but stopping LeBron and holding Los Angeles to 38 percent shooting was key. Harris was Brooklyn’s most efficient player of the night with 26 points on 6 three-pointers made. Ed Davis was phenomenal in his own return to L.A. with 14 points and 15 rebounds. The Nets are 2 1⁄ 2 games up on the nine-seed Orlando Magic and two full game. up on the eight-seed Miami Heat. Their magic number is now six. A combination of Nets wins and losses by the ninth seed totally six and they’re in. They have two more games on the trip — one against Portland and the final one coming against Philadelphia. With eight games left, all they need to do is weather the storm and they should find themselves in the dance come April. *** ‘IT WAS ALL A DREAM...’ It’s no secret that D’Angelo Russell is on top of the world. After leading a historic comeback on Tuesday, Russell was on the cover of SLAM Magazine with a crown on his head entitled, “It was all a dream.” The talk of the week has been Russell’s rise. Russell this, Russell that. After all he’s done, he deserves it. Some on ESPN praised Russell for how far he’s come. Clinton Yates on Around the Horn gave a unique perspective, stating how DLo’s success is a breath of fresh air for a league filled with unhappy players. Interesting and insightful perspective from @clintonyates on D’Angelo Russell, essentially saying his happiness is a breath of fresh air for the NBA. @AroundtheHorn pic.twitter.com/kNs6wy5lGi — Anthony Puccio (@APOOCH) March 20, 2019 Others, such as Michael Wilbon on Pardon The Interruption, claimed that Magic Johnson “freed” Russell from LaLa land. Rubbish. However they want to spin the story — it’s nice to see Russell (and the Nets) back in the spotlight getting the love they deserve. He is probably the most compelling Net player since Jason Kidd and/or Vince Carter. And he’s only 23. TEN PLUS WINS Kenny Atkinson has said a 10-win improvement this season, from last year’s 28, was a good goal. Mission accomplished. The Nets are now at 38 wins. Other milestones lie ahead. If the Nets can get to 40, it will be their first 40+ win season since 2013-14, the same year they had their last .500+ season. Getting to 40 would require them to win two of their last eight games. A .500 season would require three wins. Nets are off Saturday but all two of their their three of playoff competitors —the Pistons and Heat— are playing. Detroit plays Portland and the Heat play the Wizards. DLO; ‘I PLAN ON BEING IN BROOKLYN FOR A LONG TIME’ In a particularly open interview with USA Today’s Trysta Krick, D’Angelo Russell once again said his loyalty is to Brooklyn. “I plan on being in Brooklyn for a long time,” said Russell. “You can forget about my Lakers days if I do it right. Make new headlines. That’s my goal.” The Nets PG also contrasted the Nets situation, with its stability to the Lakers. “It’s the type of organization that will trade you to bring in what they want,” he said of the operation Magic Johnson runs. Thriving in Brooklyn, rising star D'Angelo Russell discusses being traded by the Lakers: "It's the type of organization that will trade you to bring in what they want." pic.twitter.com/mrwOKn3jdC — USA TODAY NBA (@usatodaynba) March 23, 2019 STOP WINNING, DENVER! As the season winds down, it’s not just the playoffs still at stake. The Nets draft position is also yet to be determined. Currently, they have the 16th, 28th and 31st pick. With each win, the Nuggets, whose first rounder the Nets control, keep dropping in the NBA Draft. Denver destroyed New York on Friday, 111-93, in their latest win. The Nuggets and Warriors are now tied for best record in the West. They’re 7-3 over their last 10, one game better than the Warriors. KD TO EXPLORE BROOKLYN In an intriguing development in Kevin Durant’s new three-part series entitled, “Fly By,” KD will take a virtual tour of three cities with three different players, starting with Quin Cook in San Francisco and ending with D’Angelo Russell... in Brooklyn. Doug Zanger of ADWeek writes... In the first episode, Durant and fellow Golden State Warriors teammate Quinn Cook explore their home city of San Francisco, visiting Mister Jiu’s restaurant and the legendary Hyde Street Studios in the Tenderloin... The Fly By series will continue with episodes focused on Los Angeles with Lakers star Kyle Kuzma and Brooklyn featuring Nets guard D’Angelo Russell. Kenny Atkinson wanted no part in the discussion, aware of tampering issues. “Oh, man, I had no idea about that first of all. Listen, I really don’t want to comment on it,” Atkinson said, careful to never utter Durant’s name. “There’s some players in this league who are friendly with each other, and if you want to get together and take a tour of Brooklyn, that’s great. “Obviously it’s a great place to live: We all live there. I’m so proud of it that our staff and all of our players, except for [Jared] Dudley [live there]. … We love living there. I’m glad DLo is showing his friends around.” But Caris LeVert thinks his teammate is an ideal recruiter.<doc-sep>LOS ANGELES — Joe Harris scored 26 points, D'Angelo Russell added 21 points and 13 assists against his former team, and the Brooklyn Nets eliminated the Los Angeles Lakers from playoff contention with a 111-106 victory Friday night. Spencer Dinwiddie added 19 points in his hometown as the Nets (38-36) bolstered their playoff chances with their second straight win after an 0-3 start to this seven-game road trip. Brooklyn is seventh in the Eastern Conference standings, a half-game behind sixth-place Detroit and 2 1/2 games ahead of ninth-place Orlando. JaVale McGee had career highs of 33 points and 20 rebounds along with six blocked shots for the Lakers, who have lost five straight and 10 of 11. Los Angeles (31-41) will miss the playoffs for a franchise-record sixth straight season despite the arrival of LeBron James, who fell just short of his 81st career triple-double with 25 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds. The teams traded the lead down the stretch of a game featuring 23 lead changes, but Harris put Brooklyn ahead to stay on a layup with 5:28 left. The Lakers got within three points in the final minute, but James committed a turnover and missed a 3-pointer in the closing seconds. James sat out of the Lakers' road finale at Milwaukee on Tuesday to rest, but fell just short of his eighth triple-double for the Lakers in his return. He also took a nasty spill in the final minute, but got up and returned to the game. McGee, the veteran big man with two championship rings from Golden State, had the biggest offensive game of his 11-year NBA career. He went 15 for 20 from the field, repeatedly converting in the paint on 10 assists from James. The Nets got another big game from Russell, who scored 27 points in the fourth quarter of a thrilling win at Sacramento three nights earlier. Russell was well-liked by Lakers fans — but not by Magic Johnson, who dumped Russell in a trade to get rid of Timofey Mozgov's onerous contract just a few months after the Hall of Famer took over the Lakers' basketball operations in 2017. Russell has grown into an All-Star in Brooklyn, while the Lakers have stayed in largely the same place in the standings despite adding James last summer. The Lakers officially will miss for the sixth consecutive season, easily the longest streak in the 16-time NBA champion franchise's history. The Lakers had only missed the playoffs five times in their first 55 seasons of existence before this current drought. With 10 games left in the season, the Lakers already know they're staying home again for the playoffs, even after adding James to the roster last July. James has played in the last eight consecutive NBA Finals, but he will miss the post-season for the first time since 2005, his second pro season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. TIP-INS Nets: Allen Crabbe missed his fourth straight game with a sore right knee. Lakers: Tyson Chandler got his first game action since March 2. ... Kuzma hit a 3-pointer from half-court to beat the shot clock in the first quarter. UP NEXT Nets: At Trail Blazers on Monday night. Lakers: Host Kings on Sunday night. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports<doc-sep>
Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — D’Angelo Russell took no public pleasure in playing a pretty big role in officially eliminating the Los Angeles Lakers from playoff contention for yet another season. Russell is much more excited about the increasing likelihood that he’s about to make his postseason debut with the Brooklyn Nets. Joe Harris hit six 3-pointers while scoring 26 points, and Russell added 21 points and 13 assists against his former team in the Nets’ 111-106 win over the Lakers on Friday night. Russell had seven points and three assists in the fourth quarter while Brooklyn held on to beat the Lakers, who drafted Russell in 2015 and traded him in 2017. He hit two big 3-pointers down the stretch, and he raised his finger to his lips to shush his former fans in the Staples Center crowd. But Russell said it was nothing personal, and he didn’t think much about putting the final nail in the Lakers’ playoff hopes. "Sounds good on paper, but at the end of the day, we’re not playing them," Russell said. "We’re not competing against them for seeding, so the win is good enough." Los Angeles (31-41) will miss the playoffs for a franchise-record sixth straight season even with LeBron James, who fell just short of his 81st career triple-double with 25 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds. "It’s been a tough season for all of us," James said. "It’s not what we signed up for. Throughout the year, things happen. Suspensions, injuries, and us just not being able to play sustainable basketball for 48 minutes. You don’t even try to wrap your head around it. You just keep playing and try to get better and go from there." The Nets needed another big game from Russell, who scored 27 of his 44 points in the fourth quarter of a thrilling win over the Kings three nights earlier. That stunning effort in Sacramento was the latest highlight of a breakout season for LA’s former No. 2 overall pick. GET MORE NBA:Exclusive content with our Click & Roll newsletter STRETCH RUN:Keep your eye on NBA version of March Madness PROSPECT WATCH:Top college players to watch not named Zion Russell was well-liked by Lakers fans — but not by Magic Johnson, who dumped Russell in a trade to get rid of Timofey Mozgov’s onerous contract just a few months after the Hall of Famer took over the Lakers’ basketball operations. "This is definitely where I started," said Russell, who has previously acknowledged being irked by Magic’s parting comments about his leadership. "It’s definitely a place that gave me an opportunity. Not many guys started somewhere and then that was forgotten throughout their career. You know, Chauncey Billups, the (Steve) Nashes of that group, so I’m trying to consider myself one of those guys." Russell has grown into an All-Star in Brooklyn, while the Lakers have stayed in largely the same place in the standings despite adding James last summer. JaVale McGee had career highs of 33 points and 20 rebounds along with six blocked shots for the Lakers, who have lost five straight and 10 of 11. After 23 lead changes, the Lakers got within three points in the final minute, but James committed a turnover and missed a 3-pointer in the closing seconds. TIP-INS: Nets — Allen Crabbe missed his fourth straight game with a sore right knee. Lakers — Tyson Chandler got his first game action since March 2. … Kuzma hit a 3-pointer from half-court to beat the shot clock in the first quarter. NETS RISING: Spencer Dinwiddie added 19 points in his hometown as the Nets (38-36) bolstered their playoff chances with their second straight win after an 0-3 start to this seven-game road trip. Brooklyn is seventh in the Eastern Conference standings, a half-game behind sixth-place Detroit and 2 ½ games ahead of ninth-place Orlando. STAYING HOME: The Lakers will miss for the sixth consecutive season, easily the longest streak in the 16-time NBA champion franchise’s history. The Lakers had only missed the playoffs five times in their first 55 seasons of existence before this current drought. With 10 games left in the season, the Lakers already know they’re staying home again for the playoffs, even after adding James to the roster last July. James has played in the last eight consecutive NBA Finals, but he will miss the postseason for the first time since 2005, his second pro season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.