Farmar, Lakers hold off Nets

NEW YORK -- With Kobe Bryant still sidelined following Achilles surgery, Jordan rules are in effect with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jordan Farmar, that is.

The guard provided a huge spark off the bench, leading the Lakers to a 99-94 win over the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Wednesday night.

Farmar erupted for 15 points, shooting 5-for-7 from 3-point range, as the Lakers improved to 8-8 and extended their winning streak over the Nets to 11 games.

"The more opportunity I get to play, the more I'm on the floor, the guys respond to me differently and let me lead them, put guys in positions to be successful," Farmar said.

Farmar and forward Nick Young, who scored a game-high 26 points, making four of six attempts from beyond the arc, helped Los Angeles open up a 27-point lead with 8:30 left in the first half.

It was a spark the Lakers needed following a disappointing 116-111 loss to the Wizards in Washington on Tuesday.

"We were just playing with energy," Young said. "We knew we needed to come out of the gates because last night didn't sit well with us. It was a blessing."

The lead, however, evaporated in the second half.

Forward Mirza Teletovic (career-high 17 points) sparked the Nets after halftime, pulling Brooklyn to within one with a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 4:24 left in the fourth quarter. The Bosnian then tied the score at 92 from the free-throw line with 3:57 remaining in regulation.

"He was great defensively and offensively," Nets coach Jason Kidd said of Teletovic. "Not just his shooting, but his defense, rebounding, blocking shots, doing the little things."

The Nets, who suffered their sixth loss in seven games to fall to 4-11, had chances to take the lead. However, they came up empty on four straight possessions, the final one resulting in a turnover that forward Wesley Johnson converted into a dunk on the other end to give the Lakers a 94-92 lead with 1:33 remaining.

Brooklyn guard Joe Johnson and forward Kevin Garnett missed opportunities to tie the score in the final 50 seconds.

"It's like we couldn't get a break," Nets guard Joe Johnson said. "We had some great looks. Maybe there was some controversial fouls, but it's part of it. It's kind of we couldn't get over the hump. We fought back, got back into the game and had our chances to win. We just came up short."

Los Angeles guard Steve Blake went 1-for-2 from the foul line with 17.2 seconds left to give the Lakers a 95-92 lead.

Swingman Alan Anderson drove the baseline for a dunk with 9.8 seconds left to pull the Nets within 95-94. Lakers guard Jodie Meeks knocked down two free throws with 8.3 seconds left, and Pierce missed a 3-point attempt with 2.2 seconds left to seal the Lakers' wild win.

"We can do better and we will do better," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said. "I love this group of guys. They're playing as hard as they can play and they play well in moments. We just have to figure out a way to stretch it longer and (make sure) everybody is contributing."

Young didn't want to think about what would have happened if the Lakers came up short after building a huge first-half lead.

"That would have been devastating," Young said. "Luckily, it didn't happen."

Instead, Young, who injured the ring finger on his left hand late in the fourth quarter, head to Detroit for a Friday game on a positive note.

"I feel good, besides my finger," Young said. "It was a tough win. We came into Brooklyn, did what we had to do and everything is positive. It's a good way to eat some Thanksgiving."

NOTES: With 10 first-quarter points, Lakers C Pau Gasol passed Detlef Schrempf to become the second-highest-scoring European player in NBA history behind Dallas Mavericks F Dirk Nowitzki. Gasol finished with 21 points on the night. ... Out for the Nets were F Andrei Kirilenko (back spasms), C Brook Lopez (sprained left ankle), G Jason Terry (bruised left knee) and G Deron Williams (sprained left ankle). "They're day-to-day," Brooklyn coach Jason Kidd said. ... The Nets completed their third of 20 back-to-back games this year. Last season, Brooklyn led the NBA with 23 sets of back-to-back games. ... G Kobe Bryant (Achilles surgery) and G Steve Nash (nerve root irritation) did not play for the Lakers. ... The Nets head to the road to take on the Houston Rockets (Friday) and the Memphis Grizzlies (Saturday) in back-to-back games.