James, Davis get new-look Lakers past Pels 120-102
LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James had 21 points in his first game since becoming the NBA’s career scoring leader, and Anthony Davis had 28 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the new-look Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-102 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.
D’Angelo Russell had 21 points and seven assists during his warm welcome home to the Lakers, who won for just the second time in six games. Los Angeles’ five new players all made their home debuts after the club’s busy trade deadline, and the Lakers never trailed.
James took three games off to rest his perpetually sore left ankle and foot im- mediately after he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record Feb. 7. He returned for the final game before the All-Star weekend in another season that’s threatening to get away from the Lakers, who hit the break in 13th place in the 15-team Western Conference at 27-32.
But the season isn’t over yet, and the Lakers got promising reinforcements. Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley joined James and Davis in the starting lineup, while Mo Bamba fouled out in 16 minutes as the backup center in his Lakers debut.
Russell’s debut was actually a homecoming, because he played his first two NBA seasons in Los Angeles before getting traded four times and eventually returning to the Lakers last week. Russell was clearly thrilled to be back in Hollywood, putting on an impressive playmaking performance while also repeatedly exhorting the crowd to standing ovations for the Lakers.
Brandon Ingram scored 25 points and C.J. McCollum had 22 points and nine assists in his return from a one-game absence with a sprained right ankle for the Pelicans, who lost for only the second time in six games.
Russell, Beasley and Vanderbilt — teammates for the previous two seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves — reteamed in the Lakers’ 30th starting lineup of the 59-game season.
Davis, who went 13 for 17, scored nine points early in the fourth quarter while Los Angeles pulled away in a solid all-around defensive performance.
New Orleans’ Josh Richardson was ejected with 10:52 left in the fourth quarter after arguing vociferously for a foul on James.