After a rough stretch following the All-Star break, the Los Angeles Lakers have started to rediscover themselves. The Lakers entered their Tuesday night matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans with a modest two-game winning streak after dominant wins over the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, so they were poised to build on that momentum.
While the Pelicans began the 2025-26 season poorly, they’ve picked things up as of late as their roster’s gotten healthier. Dejounte Murray recently made his regular season debut after his Achilles injury while Zion Williamson made his return to the lineup after dealing with an ankle sprain.
With their starting group available, New Orleans gave Los Angeles a run for its money as it came out in the first quarter on fire from beyond the arc. While the Lakers went into halftime with the lead, too many turnovers in the third quarter allowed the Pelicans to retake control.
In the fourth quarter, Los Angeles was able to hit clutch shots when it needed to and managed to hold off New Orleans in a 110-101 victory.
Luka Doncic hasn’t seen many teams that can slow him down this season, and the Pelicans were no different as he got to his preferred spots on the floor. While he wasn’t necessarily the most efficient shooter from the field, he knocked down shots when they counted including a huge 3-pointer in the fourth quarter that put L.A. up by 10 points.
Doncic finished the night with a double-double of 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists though he did commit seven turnovers.
LeBron James can still take over games when he has it in him and that was the case against New Orleans as he overwhelmed his younger peers with his strength and athleticism. James was active on both ends of the floor, and ran out in transition almost every opportunity he got.
James finished behind Doncic in scoring with 21 points, but he was far more efficient as he shot 8-of-12 from the field. He also had seven rebounds, seven assists and two blocks.
Marcus Smart has a knack for delivering when the Lakers need him most and he continued that trend with several timely baskets in the fourth. The veteran guard’s two-way play was instrumental in the win and he finished the evening with 10 points, seven assists, three rebounds, four steals and three blocks.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers go back on the road for their Thursday night game against the Denver Nuggets before returning home to play the Indiana Pacers on Friday.
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