EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Get home, Lakers. Things are getting rough on the road.
What You Need To Know
- The Lakers lost to the Pelicans 128-111 Tuesday night in New Orleans
- LeBron James and Anthony Davis both sat out again with injuries
- Montrezl Harrell had 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks
- Up Next: The Lakers face the Sixers at Staples Center Thursday night at 7 p.m.
The New Orleans Pelicans drubbed the Lakers on Tuesday, 128-111, as a quick two-game trip came to a merciful end. New Orleans led by 30 in the third quarter on the way to a breezy victory as LeBron James and Anthony Davis sat out again.
The Lakers were blitzed by one of their own.
Brandon Ingram, drafted by the Lakers with the second overall pick in 2016, scored 36 points on only 21 shots. Pelicans teammate Zion Williamson added to the Lakers’ woes and was almost unstoppable near the basket while scoring 27 points.
It does not get much easier for the Lakers, who lost by 17 two nights earlier in Phoenix and return home to play Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia on Thursday.
The good news, if there was any, could have been the Davis sighting before the game. He worked out on the court while continuing to ramp up his physical activity before missing his 16th consecutive game because of Achilles’ tendon and calf soreness.
The Lakers are expected to give an update on his condition Friday.
Reserve Lakers center Montrezl Harrell continued to play over, around, and through anybody who tried to stop him. He had 18 points against New Orleans, adding to an already strong month of March personally.
Harrell, however, was the only threat down low for the Lakers, who started two-way player Devontae Cacok in an attempt to match New Orleans’ size by the basket. It did not work. The Pelicans’ starting frontcourt made 29 of 40 shots for sublime 72.5% accuracy to extend the Lakers’ losing streak to three games.
Cacok had four points in his first NBA start.
In a departure from the norm for any team, especially the Lakers this season, they actually shot better from three-point range (48.6%) than two-point range (37.5%).
Markieff Morris and Kyle Kuzma each scored 16 points, the latter adding 10 rebounds and 7 assists as well.