Following a devastating loss to the Golden State Warriors yesterday, the Los Angeles Lakers came into Friday's game looking to set things right. With LeBron James and Luka Doncic leading the way, the fans expected an easy win at the Crypto.com Arena, but the Pelicans had other plans.
New Orleans was shorthanded tonight, without Zion Williamson or CJ McCollum, but they started strong anyway, with a 30-point first quarter. The Lakers were able to build up a big lead in the second quarter, but it didn't hold for long after the Pelicans responded with a run of their own.
Luka Doncic led the Lakers in scoring with 35 points, six rebounds, and six assists on 10-21 shooting (47.6%). His backcourt partner, Austin Reaves, contributed 30 points, three rebounds, and seven assists on 61.5% shooting. Meanwhile, LeBron James dropped 27 points, eight assists, and two steals on 9-17 shooting (52.9%).
Jose Alverado was the MVP for the Pelicans tonight with 27 points, four rebounds, and five assists. At center, Yves Missi finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and one block on 5-8 shooting while veteran forward Kelly Olynyk dropped 12 points, three rebounds, and two assists on 50% shooting.
The Lakers were clearly feeling a little worn out after the hard-fought loss to Golden State, but fans were expecting a dominant performance against a lowly Pelicans team (21-55). After a rough first half, the Lakers finally delivered on expectations and successfully closed out the game in their latest statement win.
Austin Reaves Masterclass
The Lakers' big three combined for 92 points tonight, overwhelming the Pelicans to win the game. Specifically, it was Austin Reaves who came through for his team with high energy, effort, and red-hot shooting. He was making play after play for the Lakers, scoring and passing within the flow of the game.
In 36 minutes tonight, Reaves put up 30 points, three rebounds, and seven assists on 61.5% shooting. For the season, he's averaging 20.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game on 45.6% shooting.
Reaves went undrafted in 2021, but he's become a core member of the Purple and Gold. Over the past few years, Austin has emerged as a star-caliber athlete, and right now, he's become the second-best player on a Lakers team currently ranked third in the West.
Major Boost At The Line
The Lakers are still experiencing some growing pains since the Luka Doncic trade. Along with some rough offensive stretches, Luka has not been playing well, but he was able to get going thanks to multiple trips to the charity stripe.
He went a perfect 11-11 on free throws and set the perfect example for his teammates as he fed them on the inside all night long. In total, the Lakers went 26-28 (92.9%) from the line, outscoring the Pelicans by 12 in the category.
After starting sluggish, LA hit a rhythm down the stretch thanks to their aggressive play, which drew fouls and allowed key players like Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James to get a feel for the game. Getting to the line has been a go-to strategy for the Lakers this season, and it seems they will lean into that approach going into the NBA playoffs.
Zone Defense Shut Down The Pelicans
After watching the Pelicans drop 30 points in the first quarter, JJ Redick knew he had to switch up his team's defensive game plan to try and slow them down. Out of all their options, Redick opted to play zone defense early in the second quarter, and he credits that decision as the one that turned the tide of the game.
New Orleans was held to just 23 points in the second quarter, and while they did make a run later in the game, it wasn't enough to close the gap. In total, the Pelicans shot 48.8% from the field tonight and 41.2% from three, with 16 turnovers.
As always, defense will be key to the Lakers' success, and it's been up-and-down ever since the Luka Doncic trade. While their performance on that end was far from perfect tonight, the Lakers did prove that zone defense can be an effective strategy for them in the right situation.
This game was harder than expected for the Lakers, but they got the job done and have moved back up to the third seed in the West. The problem now is that their next two games are against the top team in the West -- the Oklahoma City Thunder. LeBron and company will need to at least split these next two games to keep their place in the standings, or else things could get ugly down the stretch of the season.
