NBA: Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram lead Pelicans past Lakers
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New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) slam dunks in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers in New Orleans, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023. The New Orleans Pelicans won 129-109. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
NEW ORLEANS — 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 semifinal in Las Vegas on Dec. 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 on Sunday night to improve to 7-3 since leaving Las Vegas.
“It definitely brought us together more as a team,” Williamson said. “I feel like we’ve been playing great since then. We’ve still got some things to figure out, but so does every other team.”
Los Angeles was coming off a 108-106 loss at Minnesota on Saturday night, while New Orleans was off two days after beating Utah at home Thursday night.
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.
“We have to figure it out and get better, for sure,” James said. “We’re not one team that likes to play from behind. We’ve been in that position a lot this year.
“The flight last night did not help, obviously,” added James, who played through flu-like symptoms on Saturday and Sunday. “We didn’t get to the hotel last until 3:45 (a.m.). So, it was a rough day trying to recalibrate and get ready for the game. But I’m happy I was able to go out and just try to make some plays happen for my team.”
The Pelicans had the look of a team seeking redemption for it’s previous dud against the Lakers — and played with vigor in front of a packed and festive New Year’s Eve crowd.
“The way we lost the game, you want to redeem yourself,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “We talked about it the last coupe days and watched some film on it — as hard as it was.”
New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) is greeted by guard Jose Alvarado after a scoring run in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers in New Orleans, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
CJ McCollum added 22 points for the Pelicans, who led by 19 points and responded to each comeback bid with the help of 50% 3-point shooting (17 of 34) as a team and crafty 6-foot guard Jose “Grand Theft” Alvarado’s four steals and and two blocks.
Alvarado is “one of our emotional leaders and his ability to impact this team with his energy, his effort, it was huge tonight,” Green said. “It’s a blessing to have a guy like that on your team who can really ignite the whole building.”
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.
“Not only are they scoring, but they’re sharing the ball with each other and their teammates,” Green said. “That’s the trust factor we have to have.”
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.
The Lakers went into the game without forward Cam Reddish (adductor) and D’Angelo Russell (back), while the Pelicans were without one of their top 3-point shooters in Trey Murphy III (left knee). All were day-to-day.
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.
"When he does stuff like that, it changes the game."
– Zion Williamson on the effect of Jose Alvarado's signature steal 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/Sy7SO1hWOj
— NBA (@NBA) January 1, 2024
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.
“LeBron, that’s one of the greatest players to ever play this game and for me to be on the court, for me to get steals, for me to do anything, that’s pretty amazing,” said Alvarado, who was undrafted out of Georgia Tech. “When I get back to watch videos when I grow old, and they say that (James) is the best player to play this game, at least I got a video of him (with me) getting a steal.”
LeBron 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.
NEXT SCHEDULE
Lakers: Host Miami on Wednesday night to begin a five-game homestand.
Pelicans: Host Brooklyn on Tuesday night to conclude a five-game homestand.
