The Los Angeles Lakers escaped Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night with a 110-101 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, their third consecutive victory, after erasing an eight-point deficit in the final quarter.
Luka Doncic led the way with 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. The result moved Los Angeles to within half a game of the Denver Nuggets for fifth place in the Western Conference.
The contest appeared to be slipping away when Zion Williamson converted an and-one for a 94-86 Pelicans lead with 7:20 remaining. Over the next three minutes, the Lakers answered with a 12-0 burst and never trailed again.
“We kept saying there was still a lot of time left,” Doncic said of the turnaround. “Our purpose on that 12-0 run was great.”
While acknowledging the team did not perform at its best, Doncic called the outcome a mark of progress. “Sometimes you have to win when you’re playing bad; that’s what good teams do. We managed to get the win out of it.”
The Lakers will now enter a challenging stretch in which nine of their next 11 games come against teams with winning records. “You just have to approach those games with the same mentality—go game by game and try to win them all,” Doncic added.
Redick Downplays Viral Bench Exchange
Head coach JJ Redick addressed a recent sideline interaction with Doncic that circulated on social media after a win over Golden State. “I didn’t think much of it at the time, and I don’t think Luka did either. These things happen frequently, and we have a great relationship,” Redick said before Tuesday’s matchup.
The Lakers improved to 38-28 with the win, while the Pelicans fell to 22-44.
Source: Lakers Nation
