The Los Angeles Lakers’ recent three-game losing streak is in the past as they look to make it three in a row when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. The Pelicans enter this game with a dismal 19-43 record, but they’ve won five of their past eight games and are proving to be a nasty opponent tonight.
After trailing by six early, the Lakers built a nice lead with 11 unanswered points in the second quarter, but a string of turnovers caused them to lose the lead and trail by two entering the fourth quarter. They then went on a 14-0 run in the final quarter, which was enough for them to win 110-101 as they continued to win the game brilliantly in the final five minutes.
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It wasn’t a very offensive game for either team. Both teams had a lot of trouble hitting the ball from distance, committing a total of 41 turnovers. But Los Angeles took advantage of 22 Pelicans turnovers, scored 28 fast-break points, and grabbed seven more rebounds and seven more free throws.
The team now has a record of 37 wins and 24 losses, still ranking sixth in the Western Conference, half a game behind the fifth-place Denver Nuggets. It will face the Nuggets in Colorado on Thursday.
Marcus Smart: B+
Smart was very active on defense and aggressively pursued the ball on the other end of the court, which resulted in him collecting 4 steals and 3 blocks. Offensively, he scored 10 points on 3 of 9 shots and 2 of 6 three-pointers, and hit a three-pointer with 1:34 left in the fourth quarter to help Los Angeles lead by 7 points.
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When Smart got the ball on defense, he helped create transition opportunities, which led to him dishing out seven assists, grabbing three rebounds and not turning the ball over in 30 minutes.
Deandre Ayton: B/B-plus
Ayton missed a lot of easy opportunities near the rim early in this game, either with his shot blocked or the ball knocked away from him. But he kept his head clear during the game and finished with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Over the past few games, the Lakers have done a better job of getting him into scoring position early.
He also grabbed 8 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 assist in 25 minutes.
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Austin Reeves 😀
Reeves simply couldn’t shoot for much of this game. He missed his first eight shots and didn’t make his first until 4:11 left in the third quarter. The guard also committed five turnovers as the Pelicans cut off his angles to the rim and forced him to play in a crowded area.
He did, however, hit four of his final six field goal attempts, and he hit back-to-back three-pointers during Los Angeles’ 14-0 run in the fourth quarter. Reeves played 37 minutes and scored 15 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.
Since entering this game averaging 24.1 points per game this season, he has not reached the 20-point mark in six consecutive games.
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LeBron James: B+
James comes into this game with a lot of energy and makes a clear impact every time he expresses himself. At the beginning of the second quarter, he single-handedly helped the Lakers to an 11-0 climax, scoring the Lakers’ first 9 points of the quarter, and then passed the alley-oop pass to Ayton for a dunk, helping the Lakers build their lead.
After scoring 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the first half, James fell silent thereafter. But he ended up with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 blocks on 8-of-12 shooting, although he did commit five turnovers.
Luka Doncic: B+
Doncic had a solid game, although he was a little less efficient than usual. He made 10 of 22 shots from the field and scored 27 points on 3 of 10 shots from the inside. In addition, he also contributed 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 block. But he also committed seven turnovers. Turnovers have always been an issue for him, although this was the first time in nearly a month that he had at least four in a game.
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Jackson Hayes: B+
Hayes played 23 minutes in this game, scoring 8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 assist on 3 of 4 shots.
Luke Kennard: B+
Kennard continued to exert his offensive firepower on the bench, playing 21 minutes, scoring 9 points on 3-of-5 shooting, 2-of-3 three-point shooting, plus 2 rebounds and 1 assist.
Jack Laravia: C
It was another quiet game for Laravia, who didn’t get as much playing time as usual. He played 14 minutes and scored 5 points on 2-of-4 shooting, plus 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.
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Rui Hachimura: D-
Hachimura has been struggling with his shooting since the All-Star break. He missed all four of his attempts Tuesday and finished with two points and two rebounds in 19 minutes.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers player results: Los Angeles beats Pelicans for third straight win
