LOS ANGELES _ A letdown was likely after the Los Angeles Lakers got through an intense weekend with wins against two of the best teams in the NBA.
Still the Lakers fought back from a late deficit to give themselves a chance. Ultimately, it was not enough. A last-second three-pointer by Anthony Davis didn't fall and the Lakers lost to the Brooklyn Nets, 104-102.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 29 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, making 12 of 22 shots, but only one of the five free throws he attempted. Davis scored 26 points, making four of the eight three-pointers he attempted. The Nets were led by Spencer Dinwiddie, who scored 23 points and made all eight free throws he attempted.
The loss was only the Lakers' second in the last 13 games.
The specter of potentially having to play games without fans hovered over Tuesday night's contest. Although a few more empty seats than normal dotted the arena, overall fans still packed Staples Center.
In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Barbara Ferrer, L.A. County's director of public health, was asked at what point the county would cancel large-scale events. She did not directly answer that, but indicated the point had not yet come where it would be the safest thing for events to close, postpone or go spectator-free. An email seeking clarity from the department went unanswered.
For Tuesday, the only protective changes the NBA had taken included limiting media access by closing pre- and post-game locker rooms to media and changing group interview procedures to move reporters a safe distance from players and coaches.
Otherwise, teams were simply asked to practice common sense. They were reminded about proper hand washing. The Nets changed their popcorn procedures _ individual bags rather than one big bag for everyone to dig through.
The game went on as normal.
For the Lakers it was a respite from an intense weekend. Having just beaten two of the best teams in the NBA _ the Bucks and Clippers _ the Nets were an entirely different type of opponent. They entered the game in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with a 29-34 record, but on a two-game winning streak.
The Lakers started the game shooting well _ 52.2% from the field and 50% from three-point range in the first quarter.
The intensity of the previous two games was lacking, but there were still moments in which the Lakers showed some fire. One such moment came at the end of the first half. Tied with less than 30 seconds remaining before the break, James dove for a loose ball Nets guard Joe Harris had lost. James' recovery led to a running dunk by Kyle Kuzma that gave the Lakers a 58-56 lead at halftime.
Brooklyn took control in the third quarter, outscoring the Lakers 31-22 despite 12 points from Davis during the quarter. The Nets made 12 of the 20 shots they took in the third and were led by Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, who had 11 points on four-of-five shooting.
To start the fourth quarter the Nets had a seven-point lead.
It was a lead the Lakers were able to chip into late in the fourth quarter. With 54 seconds left and the Lakers trailing by three, Nets center DeAndre Jordan went to the free-throw line. He missed both free-throw attempts.
At the other end of the court, James found Davis at the top of the key. Davis sank the three-pointer to tie the game and sent the crowd into a frenzy. At that point, the Nets had gone more than three minutes without a field goal.
