The Los Angeles Lakers were without LeBron James, who appeared on the injury report with a left foot ailment, when they hosted the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday. Defensive standout Marcus Smart also didn’t play due to back spasms. But it didn’t matter.
They came out hot and jumped on New Orleans quickly, allowing them to play from ahead. They set a season high for most points in one quarter with 46 in the first period and tied their season high with 77 first-half points while leading by 20 at halftime. While the Pelicans were able to chop away at the Lakers’ lead and come to within 11 points, this game was never that competitive, and Los Angeles came out on top, 133-121.
While L.A. shot 48.3% from the field compared to 50.5% for the Pelicans and was outscored in the paint by 16 and in fast-break points by eight, it simply controlled the entire game. The team attempted almost twice as many free throws as the Pelicans did and had a whopping 10 blocks while committing only nine turnovers. It now has a 15-4 record and continues to sit in second place in the Western Conference.
Gabe Vincent: B
Vincent started in James’ place, and he provided a decent amount of offense. He made two of his four 3-point attempts and was 2-of-5 overall, giving him six points. He also helped out with four assists, two rebounds and one steal in 25 minutes.
Rui Hachimura: B-minus
Hachimura didn’t shoot well in this game — he was 6-of-14 overall and made only two of his eight 3-point attempts. But as he has throughout this season so far, he provided the Lakers with some solid supplemental scoring. He ended up with 14 points to go along with two rebounds in 34 minutes.
Deandre Ayton: A
Ayton’s impact was definitely felt in this game. His rim protection was outstanding, and he continued to feast on shots in the paint, whether they were near the rim or from post-up opportunities where he set up his own looks.
He went 7-of-9 from the field and scored 22 points, and he made all eight of his free throw attempts. Ayton doesn’t normally get to the free throw line much, but his aggression in this game allowed him to draw an ample amount of fouls.
He also blocked four shots and grabbed 12 rebounds while adding one assist in 27 minutes. This is the type of production people envisioned from him when he was the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Austin Reaves: A
Reaves continued his recent tear by going 9-of-15 from the floor, 4-of-7 from downtown and 11-of-12 from the free throw line, giving him 33 points. He has been doing a great job of attacking off the dribble and getting past his initial defender, something he didn’t always do with ease in the past, and once he gets to the rim, it seems almost certain that he will score, one way or another.
The guard also dished off eight assists and contributed five rebounds, one steal and one block. He did commit five turnovers, but overall, he was a huge thorn in the Pelicans’ side.
Luka Doncic: B-plus
Doncic got off to a fast start with eight points in the first 3:22 of the game. He scored 20 points in the first quarter, but he cooled off considerably afterward, as the Pelicans started to trap him when he had the ball on the perimeter. He had just two points in the second quarter, but he put up 10 in the third. However, his efficiency fell off greatly after the first quarter, as he went 3-of-13 from the field during that time.
He finished with a game-high 34 points on 9-of-22 from the field, 4-of-12 from beyond the arc and 12-of-14 from the free throw line. When the Pelicans helped on Doncic, he picked them apart, leading to him getting seven assists, and he also gobbled up 12 rebounds and added one steal and one block.
Jake LaRavia: C
For the first time in several games, LaRavia was aggressive offensively, even though his shot wasn’t falling. He was 4-of-14 overall and 2-of-7 from 3-point land, but when he looks to shoot the ball as a first resort, opponents have to respect him as an offensive threat, which helps his teammates.
He finished with 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and one block in 26 minutes.
Jaxson Hayes: A
Hayes has often done an excellent job so far this season in his return to being the Lakers’ backup center. On Sunday, he made all four of his shot attempts and scored eight points, while getting six rebounds, blocking two shots and adding two assists in 21 minutes.
Dalton Knecht: D-plus/C-minus
Knecht got 17 minutes of playing time due to the absences of James and Smart. He made one of his four shot attempts and scored four points, to go along with two assists, one rebound and one block.
Maxi Kleber: D-plus/C-minus
In 13 minutes, Kleber scored two points on free throws (he didn’t attempt a single shot) and contributed one rebound.
Adou Thiero: Incomplete
The rookie forward got three minutes of playing time on Sunday and had one steal. He didn’t attempt a single shot or free throw.
