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Five takeaways from the Lakers’ win over the Golden State Warriors

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry splits the Lakers' defense with a fast-break pass during the first half of a preseason game on Oct. 17.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry splits the Lakers’ defense with a fast-break pass during the first half of a preseason game on Oct. 17.

(Lenny Ignelzi / AP)
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The Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 85-70 in a game Saturday that was abbreviated because of a slippery court in San Diego. Here are five things we learned:

1.) Even Larry Nance had to smile and say, “Wow,” when he was shown a videotape of his nasty dunk over Golden State center Festus Ezeli on Saturday night at the Valley View Casino Arena in San Diego.

Nance has been looking for a signature moment during the exhibition season, for something to make him feel like he belonged in the NBA after the Lakers selected him with the 27th overall pick in the first round.

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His dunk during the Lakers’ 85-70 win over the Warriors in a game that was stopped with 2:16 left in the third because of too many players slipping on the court was it.

“That felt pretty good,” Nance admitted. “Coach (Byron Scott) drew it up in the huddle and I knew that play was something that we practice. It’s for me to take advantage of my athleticism. Sure enough, the lane opened up wide, I got two steps down. I knew it was going to be something special.”

Nance, who finished with eight points, said, “That was my first NBA dunk.”

So Nance and his teammates wanted to savor the moment, all of them jumping up and down, laughing, smiling, pointing at each other after he flew down the middle of the lane and rose up over Ezeli for the monster dunk.

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“For me, it was like a supercharged moment,” Nance said. “I get hyped. I see the team get hyped. The bench was going crazy. If it sparks the team, that’s something that I love to do.”

2.) Finally, 32-year-old rookie guard Marcelo Huertas got to play in a game for the Lakers.

Huertas had been dealing with a strained left hamstring most of training camp, keeping him out of the first five exhibition games.

He played 12 minutes and had six assists and four points.

But his first shot, a runner in the lane, was an air ball.

“I felt good,” Huertas said. “I was just glad to go out there and help us have a good night tonight.”

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3.) The Lakers have some decisions to make Sunday.

Who will they cut and who will they keep?

The battle for the backup center spot between Robert Sacre, Tarik Black and Robert Upshaw is perhaps the most intriguing. One of them probably will be cut Sunday.

Metta World Peace is not guaranteed a spot, but has worked hard to earn a job.

Jabari Brown, Michael Frazier and Jonathan Holmes probably will get cut for sure.

The Lakers have a 19-man roster. NBA teams can carry just 15 players.

4.) After the Lakers were defeated by the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night, Scott wanted to see a better effort from his team.

Scott said he was pleased with how his team performed Saturday night against the Golden State Warriors.

The game may have been stopped early, but Scott liked what he saw from Jordan Clarkson (17 points), Julius Randle (14 points), Nick Young (10 points) and the rest of his team.

5.) The Lakers, not known for their three-point shooting last season, shot the three-ball pretty well.

They made seven of 17 three-pointers (41.2%).

D’Angelo Russell, however, wasn’t on target from three-point range, missing all four of his attempts.

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Follow Broderick Turner on Twitter @BA_Turner

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