Here is a by-the-numbers look at the Lakers’ 113-92 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
3
Rebounds needed for Jordan Clarkson to reach a triple-double. The Missouri product nearly became the first Lakers rookie to record a triple-double since Magic Johnson, but he fell short despite tallying 11 points, five rebounds and five assists in a blazing first quarter. However, the 22-year-old did notch his second career double-double with 18 points and 10 assists.
4
Pelicans who scored more than 15 points. Anthony Davis led the way with his usual all-around impressive statline. The all-star piled up a game-high 20 points on 9-for-15 shooting with seven rebounds and six assists. Meanwhile, Norris Cole (17 points), Ryan Anderson (17) and Tyreke Evans (16) also rounded out a solid offensive effort.
“They have a lot of pieces,” Jordan Clarkson said. “They spread the floor out with Ryan Anderson. He started making shots, and Anthony Davis is a load at the rim. He is so athletic and long. They just made plays, and we had trouble keeping their guys out of the paint.”
5
Turnovers committed by the Lakers. While L.A. played porous defense and had stretches of bad shooting, it did take care of the ball throughout the contest. The Lakers stamped their third game of the year with five turnovers or fewer. Prior to this season, L.A. had the same number of such games over its last five campaigns combined.
56.4
Field goal percentage for the Pelicans. The Lakers simply could not handle New Orleans, which went 44-for-78 from the field and 9-for-16 on 3-pointers (56.3 percent). For most of the game the onslaught was much worse for the home team, as the Pelicans went 37-for-61 (60.7 percent) through three quarters to take a 90-70 lead.
Pelicans Shot Chart
“There was a stretch where it felt like they hit everything and we didn’t hit anything,” Jeremy Lin said. “That’s all they really needed. I remember thinking in the middle of the game: ‘Well, defensively it wasn’t really good and they’re getting easy shots.’”
63.2
Percentage shot by the Lakers in the first quarter. L.A. initially came out firing, hitting 12 of its first 19 shots to take the lead after one frame. However, the offense fell apart from there. The Lakers shot just 25-for-64 (39.1 percent) over the final three quarters and were outscored by 23 points.