Lakers lose
Ingram and Williamson overpower L.A.’s frontcourt in the Pelicans’ 128-111 victory.
The NBA has never seen a player like Zion Williamson, a 6-foot-7, 285-pound tank who can accelerate like a Ferrari. Becoming an AllStar in just his second season shows that teams are still learning how, if possible, to slow him down.
The Lakers, without three of their top frontcourt players never stood a chance.
Williamson (27 points) and the New Orleans Pelicans ran through the Lakers’ undermanned defense as if it were made of tissue, racking up 62 points in the paint in a 128-111 victory on Tuesday night in New Orleans. Former Laker Brandon Ingram added an eyepopping 36 points on 14-of21 shooting, dealing his old team its third straight loss since LeBron James injured his ankle.
While coach Frank Vogel strongly insisted that the Lakers (28-16) were staying positive during the latest setbacks, fourth-year forward Kyle Kuzma offered that the team is still working on adjusting — both its expectations and its style.
“One, we’re undersized right now. We have bodies out,” he said. “And on top of that, like I said, just switching that mental, switching our offensive profile a little bit would really help too. This team was constructed for playing off LeBron and Anthony Davis. For us, we have to switch the script.”
The Lakers are shooting for a more up-tempo, more 3-point dominant style, and on that front Vogel said there was growth. But unmistakably, their defensive issues were what got the better of them on Tuesday night.
Williamson and fellow big man Steven Adams teamed up to go 15 for 19 from the field against the Lakers, who started two-way contract player Devontae Cacok at center. For much of the evening, the Lakers were forced into mismatches against the big men and either couldn’t contest their shots or helplessly fouled. The Pelicans compounded that advantage by going 24 for 26 at the free-throw line.
The Pelicans outscored the Lakers by 25 points during Williamson’s 29 minutes, and they had essentially assured victory by scoring 43 points in the third quarter.
“We didn’t play well enough defensively, period,” Vogel allowed. “Particularly the third quarter. So we’re gonna miss guys like that, like Bron and A.D. on both sides of the ball.”
Six Lakers scored in double figures, but no one more than Montrezl Harrell who had 18 points. The game started getting away from them in the second quarter, when they were outscored 27-17, and eventually New Orleans led by as much as 30.
It was the first time the Lakers have lost to the Pelicans since they traded for All-Star big man Anthony Davis, who was forced to watch from the sideline as he continues to recover from his right calf strain. James wasn’t present at the Smoothie King Center, back in Los Angeles for a doctor’s appointment to deal with the high ankle sprain that will sideline him indefinitely.
Personal history seemed to be on the mind of Ingram, who lit up the Lakers with a special fervor scoring 17 points in the third quarter alone. His turnaround jumpers and 4-for-6 performance from 3-point range represented the potential the Lakers saw in him when he played for them, before he made his first All-Star team. Another former Laker having a promising season, Lonzo Ball, wasn’t able to suit up.