Category: Gameday

The Lakers visit the Nets on Tuesday to conclude their eight game Grammy road trip

NEW YORK — Luka Dončić vs the New York Knicks, 2/1/26, Credit: NBA on NBC

BROOKLYN, NY — Another Grammy road trip concludes on Tuesday night for the Lakers as they visit Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY to face the Nets. Luka Dončić, who is leading the league in scoring with 33.6 points per game will lead the charge along with LeBron James (21.9 ppg).

DeAndre Ayton, will also look to continue his success in the paint on Tuesday as he leads the team with 8.5 rebounds per game.

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently 29-19 and in sixth place in the West while the Brooklyn Nets hold on to the thirteenth spot in the East at 13-35. This will be their first meeting of the 2025-2026 season after splitting their regular season matchups last season 1-1. The Nets are coming off of a big loss to the Pistons on Sunday, 130-77 while the Lakers are looking to right the ship after their 112-100 loss to the Knicks on Sunday as well.

DeAndre Ayton, Lakers @ Knicks, 2/1/26, Credit: NBA on NBC

Austin Reaves is still listed as out on Tuesday with a left calf strain he sustained on Christmas day versus the Rockets. It’s likely that we will not see Austin until the Lakers are back home. They play the Sixers, Warriors, Thunder, Spurs and Mavericks before the All Star Break. Although it’s quite possible that we see Reaves back on the court during one of these home games, not rushing would be the most beneficial move for him and the Lakers as they aim to make a late season run into the playoffs and out of the play-in tournament.

The Lakers’ second unit can have some interesting bursts throughout games but if they are going to compete with the West’s top teams, the supporting cast is going to really have to limit turnovers and make some stops to preserve leads while Luka, LeBron and company get their rest.

Rui Hachimura has to knock down those open looks that he has been getting from three point land while demanding some respect from the defense in the paint or forcing them into fouls. Jaxson Hayes has been having some really fun minutes when he checks in. It seems like lately, we are bound to walk away with a dunk highlight or two from him after every game.

Jarred Vanderbilt is also an interesting one to keep an eye on. His defensive presence along with Marcus Smart’s are two weapons the Lakers desperately need to consistently show up. Both of them also are prone to getting some pretty good open looks at the corners. It makes them a dangerous team from three point land on paper. Gabe Vincent and Jake LaRavia also get those open looks throughout ballgames. Especially when Luka is getting double teamed by defenders.

If everyone can lock in at the same time, this team can really catch some lightning in a bottle once Austin [Reaves] returns and go on a deep run into the postseason. With the trade deadline days away, the Lakers may even be a move or two away from making that happen and changing their trajectory in the standings during the second half of the season.

Lakers @ Nets Tip Off: Tuesday, February 3, 2026 @ 4:30 PM PST/ 7:30 PM EST, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY – Tuesday, February 3, 2026 4:30 PM PST/ 7:30 PM EST, Credit: NBA Locker Vision

The 2025-2026 NBA trade deadline is Thursday, February 5, 2026 @ 3 p.m. EST/ 12 p.m. PSPT

Lakers lose 129-99 in a rough return to The Land for LeBron

Lakers lose to the Cavaliers 99-129 Wednesday night. Credit: Spectrum SportsNet Broadcast

The Lakers made their visit to Rocket Arena on Wednesday to play the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron’s return home to where it all started had a buzz around it with the Spectrum Sportsnet crew for a few days prior to tonight’s tip-off.

Rightfully so. Could this be the final time we see LeBron in a Lakers uniform play in Cleveland? More importantly, could this be the final time we see LeBron James play basketball in Cleveland, period? Just some of the questions that none of us know the answer to but at least we still have the opportunity to witness a legend give us what he has left for the love of the game.

How was he going to respond to fans, the tribute on the jumbotron by the Cavs, and the feeling of coming home in season 23 of his storied career? The Lakers kicked off the first quarter with an 8-0 run. Luka then awkwardly lands on his ankle and has to make his way to the locker room before returning to the floor with a few minutes left in the first quarter.

Slowly but surely, the Cavaliers would begin to find their groove from the three point line which helped them counter any run that the Lakers would go on.

Turnovers started to plague the Lakers throughout the second quarter, but they managed to keep it within two points, trailing 55-57 heading into halftime.

Everything shifted in favor of the Cavs during the third quarter. Most notably, Donovan Mitchell began to really get things going to give the Cavs a double digit lead and completely run away with it from there. He ended the nights with 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

Missed free throws, turnovers and losing the rebound battle all contributed to the Lakeshow dropping this one on the road.

Tonight had the potential to be another special homecoming for LeBron but things fell short after the half and they could never recover. We would not see much of him in the fourth quarter at all.

Midway through the final twelve minutes, the crowd began to chant for Bronny James as he checked into the game and he did not disappoint. A quick 8 points for Bronny in the fourth quarter included a steal that led to a dunk and two from three point land.

The Lakers continue their Grammy road trip and head to Washington, D.C. to play the Wizards on Friday before heading to New York to visit the Knicks and the Nets. We’ll see if they can battle back and earn themselves a few road wins before coming back to a busy February at home.

Luka Dončić: 29 PTS – 5 REB – 6 AST

LeBron James: 11 PTS – 3 REB – 5 AST

Gabe Vincent: 11 PTS – 3 REB. – 1 AST.

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City Champs Media