The LA Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans matched up in an NBA Cup game at the Smoothie King Center on Friday. The Lakers arrived in New Orleans with an 8-4 record, sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference standings. On the contrary, the Pelicans entered the game with a 2-9 record, perched in last position in the West.
The Lakers made changes to their starting lineup, with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton taking the court first. Meanwhile, the Pelicans’ lineup featured Jeremiah Fears, Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy III, Saddiq Bey and Kevon Looney.
The Lakers entered the matchup as heavy favorites against a Pelicans squad depleted by injuries. The Purple and Gold, however, started sluggishly but increased their tempo and urgency. JJ Redick’s team hit New Orleans with a 13-0 run and jumped to a 23-11 lead, with Smart, Reaves and Ayton combining for 19 of the 23 points.
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A 3-pointer from Murphy III halted the Lakers’ blistering run, but the visitors did enough to secure a 35-28 lead by the end of the first quarter.
After a slow start, Doncic caught fire in the second quarter. He recorded nine assists after two quarters, with Jake LaRavia and Ayton benefiting the most from the Slovenian point guard’s playmaking. Doncic dropped 20 first-half points, while Ayton recorded a double-double as the Lakers took a 65-52 lead into the halftime break.
The Lakers extended their lead to 20 points at one point in the third quarter. Ayton continued to dominate and made 10 of his 11 shots from the floor for 20 points, while also pulling down 14 rebounds. The Purple and Gold entered the final quarter with a 95-77 lead.
The Lakers came out flat in the fourth quarter, and the Pelicans capitalized with an 8-0 run to bring their deficit down to 10 points. Lakers coach JJ Redick called a quick timeout at the 8:58 mark, after which the visitors didn’t let go of the rope. Reaves, Doncic and Ayton combined for 75 points as the Lakers recorded a 118-104 win.
LA Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Player Stats and Box Score (Nov. 14)
LA Lakers
PLAYERMINPTSREBASTSTLBLKFGMFGAFG%3 PM3PA3P%FTMFTAFT%OREBDREBTOPFPlus/MinusMarcus Smart34:25135520615401101000014247Rui Hachimura35:04144010610602540000041030Deandre Ayton38:342016221101190.90000003134535Austin Reaves38:5431471191656.32633.3111384.6044316Luka Dončić40:13247122161637.53837.591369.2163130Jake LaRavia21:4163032347500000003214Dalton Knecht10:245100025401333.30001002-12Jaxson Hayes12:26231001333.30000003000-21Jarred Vanderbilt11:1932120142512500001111-19
New Orleans Pelicans
PLAYERMINPTSREBASTSTLBLKFGMFGAFG%3 PM3PA3P%FTMFTAFT%OREBDREBTOPFPlus/MinusTrey Murphy III38:54355010132161.93742.9661002352-25Saddiq Bey36:3211771031323.13837.5221004310-14Kevon Looney10:5620200111000000000000-7Herbert Jones34:2713731141428.61812.54666.72525-15Jeremiah Fears28:42194380816502210012500432-24Derik Queen29:229105014104001012502854-2Micah Peavy7:20000000200200000003-4Jose Alvarado21:22822103837.5245000011137Karlo Matković12:584300122100000000031211Jordan Hawkins9:093310012501250000031111Yves Missi10:18011000000000001001-8
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Edited by Atishay Jain
