The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t have much time to wallow over their loss to the Golden State Warriors the night prior as they immediately turned around to host the New Orleans Pelicans.
Unlike the Warriors, the Pelicans were eliminated from playoff contention a while ago and will be looking to intentionally lose down the stretch in hopes of landing a high draft pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. New Orleans made it even easier for Los Angeles as they entered the matchup shorthanded, giving the latter an easy path to a victory.
The game wasn’t quite the blowout most expected as the Pelicans made things interesting in the first half, but the Lakers eventually overwhelmed them with their talent and won the game 124-108.
Luka Doncic had his worst game as a member of the purple and gold against Golden State and vowed to be better moving forward. However, it seemed like Doncic was in line for another rough offensive performance after starting the game against New Orleans 0-of-6 from the field.
Fortunately, Doncic was able to rediscover his scoring ability in the second half as he started to hit jumpers with regularity while also getting to the free throw line. Overall, Doncic wound up leading all scorers with 35 points to go along with six rebounds and six assists. He shot 10-of-21 from the field and a perfect 11-of-11 from the free throw line.
Austin Reaves has been on a tear the past couple of weeks and he continued his strong play with another efficient scoring outing. While LeBron James and Doncic remain the focal point for opposing defenses, Reaves has been able to take advantage of easier matchups and thus give the Lakers an offensive lift.
Reaves had everything in his repertoire working against the Pelicans, getting to the rim with ease and knocking down just about every open 3-pointer he got. Reaves was second on the team in scoring behind Doncic with 30 points while also adding seven assists, three rebounds and one steal.
Reaves also set a franchise record for most made 3-pointers in a two-game span with 15 after he hit six of them against New Orleans.
LeBron James also made sure to make an impact on the game through the offensive end, scoring in a variety of ways to keep the Pelicans at bay. James had 27 points and eight rebounds, plus the highlight of the night when he threw down a lob from Reaves late in the game.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers will take on the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on the road on both Sunday and Tuesday.
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