The Los Angeles Lakers were finally able to get a much-needed win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.
Coming into Wednesday night, things were not looking good for the Los Angeles Lakers. After a nice start after the All-Star break with a win over the Houston Rockets, the Lakers then lost to the New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies.
While both of these games were on the road, they were both games in which the Lakers were favorites and really should have won. In the extremely tight Western Conference, every win matters. Losing games to teams like the Pelicans and Grizzlies is not a recipe for making the playoffs.
On Wednesday night, the Lakers were back home with a chance to get some revenge against the Pelicans. This time, Anthony Davis was in the lineup for the Pelicans, but he was on a minutes restriction, and didn’t play in the fourth quarter.
It was a pretty tight game throughout, but the Lakers were finally able to close out a game and get a much-need win. In the victory, the Lakers received a strong game from their starting lineup.
James led the way for the Lakers with 33 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds. In crunch time, James hit some big shots for the Lakers including a wild three-point in the corner, which was the dagger.
While James played very well, he did get some help. Brandon Ingram turned in another nice game with 23 points, and Kyle Kuzma chipped in with 22 points. There was a notable change to the starting lineup, as the Lakers went small with Rajon Rondo taking the starting spot from JaVale McGee. Rondo didn’t shoot the ball very efficiently, but he did total 11 points, 16 assists, and seven rebounds in a solid game overall.
For the rest of the season, the Lakers will have to be scoreboard watching. On Wednesday, they did get some help, as the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers both lost. With the win, the Lakers were able to gain a full game on both of them. Now, the Lakers are just three games behind the Clippers for the eighth seed in the West. If the Lakers can ever get a good stretch of basketball together, the playoffs are still very much within reach.
Next up for the Lakers will be a big showdown against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Luckily, this will be a home game for the Lakers, as they have been much better at home this season than on the road.