Lakers Rally Past Pelicans 110-101 Behind Doncic’s 27 Points and Clutch Fourth Quarter Defense
Mar 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles the ball against New Orleans Pelicans guard Saddiq Bey (41) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Los Angeles Lakers knew they couldn’t judge their opponents by record alone. Despite the New Orleans Pelicans arriving at Crypto.com Arena with a disappointing 19-43 record, the Lakers understood they were facing a dangerous team riding momentum from winning four of their previous five games.
It took a complete team effort and a lockdown fourth quarter for the Lakers (37-24) to pull out a hard-fought 110-101 victory over a stubborn Pelicans squad.
Doncic and James Lead Balanced Attack
Luka Doncic paced the Lakers with 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, though he struggled with efficiency, shooting just 10-for-22 from the field and 3-for-10 from 3-points range while committing seven turnovers. LeBron James contributed 21 points on an efficient 8-for-12 shooting, adding seven rebounds and seven assists.
« I think we responded in a good way, » Doncic said. « Sometimes you got to win playing bad. That’s what good teams do. I think that’s what it is today. Obviously it wasn’t our best game, but we managed to get a win. »
Austin Reaves overcame a brutal start, missing his first eight shots before finishing with 15 points and eight rebounds. Deandre Ayton added 13 points and eight rebounds, while Marcus Smart provided crucial energy with 10 points, four steals and three blocks.
Defensive Surge Seals Victory
The Lakers’ defense proved decisive in the fourth quarter, holding New Orleans scoreless for over four minutes during a crucial stretch. After the Pelicans built an eight-point lead with just over seven minutes remaining, Los Angeles responded with a 24-7 run to close the game.
« I think we’ve made some strides defensively, » James said. « I think we didn’t play much at all zone tonight. We started the game with it, we kind of went away from it. So, I thought our man-to-man defense was pretty good. I thought Jaxson and Marcus were great on that end and then everyone else kind of trickled in as well. »
The Lakers finished with 12 blocks, including seven in the fourth quarter, while limiting the Pelicans to 35% shooting in the final period. Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 24 points in his return from a one-game absence, while Trey Murphy III added 21 points and Saddiq Bey contributed 18.
« Well, we knew we weren’t playing against their record tonight, » James explained. « It’s the first time they’ve been whole in quite a while. And we know when they’ve been whole what kind of team they’ve been. »
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