#2) Nets did the little things well
Despite the Lakers shooting the ball efficiently, the game was ultimately won through the Nets’ balanced approach—they didn’t forfeit many unnecessary points and executed well in other aspects of the game.
After committing a season-high 29 turnovers to the Bulls on Sunday afternoon, the Nets limited their mistakes on Monday night, turning the rock over just 11 times in comparison to the Lakers’ 15 turnovers.
Likewise, outside of DeAndre Jordan and Jarrett Allen going zero-for-four from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, they were efficient at the charity stripe—going 17/23 in that regard.
They also outrebounded the Lakers on the offensive glass 14 to eight and outscored them in the paint 42-36.
So though they didn’t necessarily shoot the ball well, 41.1 percent from the field and 32.5 percent from three, curbing their unforced errors and grinding the boards were what helped sway the battle in their favor. You have to make a team of the Lakers’ magnitude work, and that’s what the Nets did.
It appears that under the tutelage of recently-minted interim head coach Jacque Vaughn, the Nets are playing inspired basketball. One can only hope that continues.