NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Zion Williamson has no interest in forgetting the New Orleans Pelicans’ most embarrassing loss of the season.
Memories of the 133-89 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the In-Season Tournament semi-final in Las Vegas on December 7 are painful, Williamson said, but the sluggish performance might also have been a “blessing in disguise”.
Williamson and Brandon Ingram each scored 26 points and the Pelicans beat the road-weary Lakers 129-109 yesterday to improve to 7-3 since leaving Las Vegas.
LeBron James scored 34 points and former Pelican Anthony Davis added 20 points and 10 rebounds, but they didn’t get enough help as the Lakers lost for the seventh time in nine games.
CJ McCollum added 22 points for the Pelicans, who led by 19 points and responded to each comeback bid with the help of 50 per cent three-point shooting (17 of 34) as a team and crafty six-foot guard Jose “Grand Theft” Alvarado’s four steals and two blocks.
It was the fourth time that New Orleans’ “Big Three” – Williamson, Ingram and McCollum – each scored 20 or more in one game, including once last season and three times in the past month. The Pelicans are 4-0 in such games.
Larry Nance Jr had 11 points and 10 rebounds in just his second game back from a rib injury. Herb Jones and Jonas Valanciunas each scored 13 points.
Then Lakers forward Rui Hachimura left the game in the first half with a left calf strain.
Despite missing Murphy, New Orleans was on from deep. McCollum made five early 3s and finished with six. Jones made three 3s from the right corner in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, Alvarado delighted the crowd by picking the pockets of both James and Davis during the second quarter, when New Orleans led by 19 points.
James had 21 of his points in the first half and Davis had 13 in the opening 24 minutes.
But the Pelicans hit 10 of 17 3s in the first two periods, and took a 74-57 halftime lead after Ingram’s block of Max Christie’s shot ignited a fast break finished by Nance’s layup.
