The Los Angeles Lakers were slow at first, but straightened up and won a relatively comfortable 112 to 95 home win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Laker’s defense got off to a slow start, with the Pelicans hitting each of the first five field shots, going up 11-5. Anthony Davis was active while recording a lock and theft, but offensively Los Angeles was unable to convert it into an open look.
Brandon Ingram started to spin by hitting a few medium sized jumpers and getting on the track, while the Lakers had trouble trying to score against a crowded painted area. New Orleans finally cooled, but LA’s difficulties in shooting both the field and the free-throw line brought them down 28-20 after the first quarter.
The top of the second was no different for the Lakers, as they had no response to a Pelican team that constantly had players obstructing the track. Montrezl Harrell managed to score a much-needed goal, but New Orleans heated up again and managed to extend the advantage to 15 points.
Dennis Schroder and Alex Caruso started a series of 11-0 after draining consecutive triples, but Ingram responded with five quick points to keep the Pelicans well ahead. Davis was able to carry the burden of scoring during the period, scoring a 9-2 run that put the team behind only 58-57 at halftime.
The Lakers took the lead from the first quarter after an eviction from LeBron James to Davis, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made a pair of 3s. Zion Williamson and Ingram combined in a 10-2 spurt to put the Pelicans back on top for a short while, but Los Angeles responded.
Defensively, purple and gold were much more engaged, as they did a better job of rotating and contesting shots. The Lakers really changed things during a 15-0 streak, going up to 84-75.
New Orleans started the period with a 5-0 streak, but James and Harrell were able to counterattack and keep them at bay. Alex Caruso helped extend Laker’s lead to 17 after finding Harrell for an e-1 and then draining a three.
Los Angeles managed to maintain control of the game and came out with another solid victory, the fifth in a row.
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