LeBron James and Luka Doncic on Tuesday combined for 60 points as the Los Angeles Lakers went on a late scoring spree to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 111-103.
The Lakers extended their winning streak to three games after James and Doncic scored 30 points apiece in the Big Easy to keep up the pressure on Western Conference leaders the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs.
The Pelicans, who are bottom of the West with an 8-30 record, had threatened to spring an upset after opening up an 86-79 lead at the end of the third quarter, but James nailed a pair of three-pointers in a 9-0 run to start the fourth quarter before Doncic added eight more points to see the Lakers home safely.
Photo: AP
James, 41, finished with 30 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, two steals and a block in a commanding all-round display. Doncic had 10 assists and two rebounds in his 30-point haul.
Trey Murphy led the Pelicans scoring with a masterful 42-point performance in a losing effort. Zion Williamson (15 points) and Derik Queen (10) were the only two other Pelicans players to make double figures.
It was the second time in three games that James had scored at least 30, having poured in 31 in a victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday last week.
Lakers coach J.J. Redick said he would necessarily expect that kind of production from James on a regular basis, but he does not want to put limits on the prolific, 23rd-year NBA superstar, either.
“I know LeBron. I know how much he puts into this. It’s just recognizing, game to game, what he has,” Redick said, comparing James to Hall of Fame MLB pitcher Greg Maddux during the final years of his career.
“Every night, he doesn’t have his best stuff, but he has enough to win,” he said. “I’m his catcher and I’ve got to figure it out.”
James said he considers Doncic to be the Lakers’ premier player now, and that it is up to him and the rest of his teammates “to bend our game around him and figure it out.”
James said his goal after the victory in New Orleans was to get a good night’s sleep, before deciding if he can play their next game, after he missed this season’s first 14 games with sciatica.
“I’m hoping my body recovers. That’s most important,” James said. “See how I feel in the morning, try to get some more rest and see how I feel when I get up from my nap... We’ll go from there.”
The Lakers remain in third place in the standings on 23-11, behind leaders Oklahoma City (30-7) and second-placed San Antonio, who fell to 25-11 after a nail-biting 106-105 loss to the Grizzlies.
In other games on Tuesday, Anthony Edwards’ 26 points helped the Minnesota Timberwolves cruise to a 122-94 win over the Miami Heat, while Darius Garland’s 29-point haul was the cornerstone of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 120-116 defeat of the Indiana Pacers.
The Washington Wizards outplayed the Orlando Magic 120-112 and the Dallas Mavericks survived the Sacramento Kings 100-98.
Additional reporting by AP
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