Brooklyn Nets: One writer’s 10 favorite first-half Nets moments

Dec. 18: World, meet The Fro

For the first time all season, the Brooklyn Nets played in front of a national television audience, as their Dec. 18 game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Barclays Center was simulcast on NBA TV.

It came at a good time for Brooklyn, entering with a five-game winning streak and an opportunity for Nets point guard D’Angelo Russell to settle an old score against his former team after the Nets had lost twice to the Lakers the previous season.

But just more than a minute into the game, Brooklyn center Jarrett Allen put his signature on the game.

LeBron James got the ball above the break, blew by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and headed for the rack with power and speed, as he had done hundreds of times over the course of his 15 NBA seasons.

Allen, however, already had some big-name dunkers on his list of denials, most notably Blake Griffin of the Detroit Pistons, and the center — with no worries about being put on a poster by LeBron — rose to meet the challenge.

And for just the ninth time in his career, James was denied on a dunk attempt.

Russell would get his revenge, drilling a pull-up 3 with 22.4 seconds to help ice it for the Nets in a 115-110 win while scoring 22 points and matching a career-high with 13 assists.

But it was the national coming out block party for Jarrett Allen that made the night.