Luka Doncic scored 27 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out seven assists, and LeBron James added 21 points as the Los Angeles Lakers rallied past the New Orleans Pelicans 110-101 on Tuesday night for their third consecutive win.
Deandre Ayton contributed 13 points and eight rebounds as the Lakers overcame a fourth-quarter deficit and 21 turnovers, finishing on a 24-7 run that included 14 straight points down the stretch. The late surge was fueled by Doncic and Austin Reaves, who missed his first eight shots before ending with 15 points.
Zion Williamson scored 24 points in his return from a one-game absence due to an ankle injury, while Trey Murphy III added 21 and Saddiq Bey had 18 for the Pelicans, who lost for only the second time in six games on the fourth stop of their six-game West Coast trip.
New Orleans led by eight with just over seven minutes remaining in the fourth, but the Lakers held the Pelicans scoreless for the next 4:18. Reaves’ 3-pointer with 5:04 left put Los Angeles ahead 96-94, and clutch triples from Marcus Smart and Doncic in the final two minutes sealed the comeback. Marcus Smart finished with 10 points, seven assists, four steals and three blocks.
James also had seven rebounds and seven assists, going 8-of-12 from the field to move within two baskets of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA career record of 15,837 field goals. Doncic received his 14th technical foul of the season in the second quarter and narrowly avoided a 15th in the final minutes after clapping at a referee; a 16th would result in a suspension.
Up Next: The Pelicans visit Sacramento on Thursday. The Lakers travel to Denver on Thursday.
