The Lakers found themselves in a bit of a rock fight on Tuesday, playing a Pelicans team with a lousy record but some quality players, and heading into the fourth were actually down three.
And in a nice turn, LA used a very strong defensive stretch in combination with some balanced offense and timely shotmaking and in the end. Down by four with about nine minutes to go, the Lakers outscored New Orleans 27-14 the rest of the way, including a 17-7 run in the final 5:39. Luka Dončić led the team in scoring with 27 points, along with 10 rebounds and seven assists, but all five Lakers starters finished in double digits.
LeBron James was a major catalyst, not only starting the game strong but using his size in transition to help fuel the Lakers attack. Jaxson Hayes and Deandre Ayton combined to give the Lakers good minutes at center. But among the supporting cast, the star was Marcus Smart, who was his typically disruptive self defensively throughout, but also had a timely 3-pointer late, and made some good plays to set up teammates.
The Lakers might not have inspired a lot of people beating New Orleans and needing plenty of energy and about 46 minutes to do it. But they won, and it's something to build on.
HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzkyy
SEGMENT 1: Balance big as Lakers beat New Orleans.
SEGMENT 2: The Lakers are making progress, right?
SEGMENT 3: Huge game Thursday coming.
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