Lakers Defeat Nets 92-83 to Record Third Straight Win in NBA

Kobe Bryant scored 21 points and had eight rebounds as the shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Brooklyn Nets 92-83 in the National Basketball Association.

The Lakers (23-26) are third in the Western Conference’s five-team Pacific Division, 10 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers, after winning six of their past seven games.

Steve Nash had 17 points and Pau Gasol scored 15 before leaving the game at Barclays Center in Brooklyn four minutes from the end. Gasol was diagnosed with a ligament strain in his foot and will have a scan today in Boston.

The Lakers limited the Nets to 35 percent shooting even though they were missing former NBA defensive players of the year Dwight Howard and Metta World Peace. Howard has missed three games with a torn labrum in his right shoulder joint. World Peace was suspended last night for punching a player in a game three days ago in Detroit.

Brook Lopez had 30 points and 11 rebounds, and Deron Williams added 15 points, for the Nets (28-20), who are second in the Eastern Conference’s five-team Atlantic Division, four games behind the New York Knicks (31-15).

To contact the reporter on this story: Nancy Kercheval in Washington at nkercheval@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net