NEW ORLEANS — The Los Angeles Lakers secured their fifth consecutive victory with a close 104-99 win against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday evening, thanks to impressive performances from Anthony Davis and other key players.
Davis contributed significantly to the win, scoring 31 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, marking another strong outing after his stellar performance against San Antonio the previous night.
LeBron James added 21 points to the Lakers’ total and came up clutch with two crucial 3-pointers during the closing minutes, although he fell short of achieving a fifth consecutive triple-double, which would have tied his career best.
Rookie Dalton Knecht emerged as a standout, hitting five 3-pointers and setting a new career high with 27 points in a starting role for the Lakers.
For the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram was the team’s leading scorer with 32 points, supported by Jaylen Nowell, who added 16 points off the bench. However, the Pelicans have struggled recently, suffering 10 losses in their last 12 games.
Injury updates revealed that Lakers’ player Cam Reddish, dealing with an issue in his lower right leg, missed the game after an earlier than expected exit in Friday’s match. Meanwhile, Austin Reaves managed to score 10 points but struggled with his shooting, missing seven of his nine attempts from beyond the arc.
Despite missing forward Trey Murphy III, who is recovering from a hamstring injury sustained during the preseason, the Pelicans showed resilience and energy. They managed to lead 56-46 at halftime despite having only 10 players available for the matchup.
A key moment in the game occurred when Ingram’s late three-pointer gave the Pelicans a brief two-point advantage. However, James quickly countered with two consecutive three-pointers, pushing the Lakers ahead 101-97 with just 37 seconds to play.
In terms of statistics, the Lakers dominated the paint, outscoring the Pelicans 52-40.
Looking ahead, the Lakers are set to continue their NBA Cup campaign at home against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, while the Pelicans will also return to NBA Cup group play as they face the Dallas Mavericks on the same night.