D’Angelo Russell scored 30 points, Austin Reaves added 27, and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 139-122 on Friday night after a remarkable 87-point first half.
LeBron James had 21 points and 14 assists, and Rui Hachimura scored 16 of his 21 points in the first half as the Lakers put on an offensive display in their fourth win in five games. Anthony Davis scored 20 points as Los Angeles dominated on the second night of a back-to-back series, soaring ahead with a 51-point second quarter and maintaining the lead throughout the second half.
“That just shows what we can do as a team offensively,” stated Reaves. “It’s just about playing the game properly. When we do that, everyone gets a better feel and rhythm, and they relax in.”
Russell was the star in his return from a one-game injury layoff, shooting six three-pointers and dishing out five assists as the Lakers ended New Orleans’ four-game victory run.
The Lakers lead 87-74 at halftime after tying a team record with 51 points in the second quarter, shredding New Orleans’ defense in their most productive half of the season and the second highest-scoring half in franchise history. With Russell leading the way with 21 points, all five starters scored at least 12, and Los Angeles made 11 3-pointers and shot 67.4% overall.
“D-Lo had it going,” Davis added. “Rui performed plays. When we can get stops in the paint, transition, play quickly, and share the ball, our offense begins to work, and we can score 51 points in a quarter.”
The Pelicans split two games in downtown Los Angeles to start their four-game road trip, with Zion Williamson scoring 30 points and nine rebounds and Brandon Ingram adding 22 points.
“We just didn’t have a physical defensive presence tonight,” Pelicans coach Willie Green explained. “I thought we started strong, but the second quarter got away from us. Fifty-one points is a lot to overcome against a team this good. They took some shots, and we assisted them with a lack of physicality on their end.”
Russell missed Thursday’s defeat to Denver due to left knee pain, but he rebounded with another excellent performance after averaging 24.0 points per game in his previous 13 appearances. Russell’s improved play in recent weeks was a major reason for the Lakers’ choice to hold put at the trade deadline, despite being in ninth place in the Western Conference.
